Japan Aims to Recycle 50,000 Tons of Used Clothing

Jiji Press

12:48 JST, July 13, 2024

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — A panel of experts set up by Japan’s industry ministry has set a goal of using 50,000 tons of discarded clothing to produce recycled fiber in fiscal 2030.

The move is part of efforts to address the situation in which a large amount of clothes has been thrown away as a result of massive production amid the spread of fast fashion.

A survey by the Environment Ministry shows that supplies of new clothing in Japan totaled 798,000 tons in 2022. Around 60%, or 485,000 tons, of such clothing is expected to be discarded without being reused. About 40% of local governments on a population basis do not collect clothing, mainly due to the absence of companies that take in secondhand products.

Another major reason behind the massive amount of clothes being thrown away is the difficulty in recycling clothes that use several different materials. In light of the situation, the Japanese government plans to increase the number of local governments working on gathering preowned clothing, including by offering information on companies that are in the recycling business.

The central government will also offer support for efforts to establish a technology that will break down an item of clothing into each individual material.

The expert panel also announced a goal of reducing the amount of clothes thrown out by households by 25% in fiscal 2030 compared to fiscal 2020.

The European Union has a goal of making all textile products sold within the region recyclable and made of recycled fibers to a large extent by 2030.

“If Japanese companies can’t accommodate the regulations, they may be shut out of the market,” a Japanese industry ministry official said.