What happens to your clothes after you donate them? In episode 41 of Ellie.Talks, we explore the journey of secondhand textiles with Els Houttequiet, project manager at Herwin – the umbrella organisation for circular and social enterprises in Flanders. Together with Julie, Els delves into the challenges and opportunities surrounding reuse, recycling and export. From AI-powered sorting to moral dilemmas in the export chain, this conversation sheds light on the complexity and potential of giving textiles a second life.
Key insights:
- Re-focus on quality: This shift in focus can help reduce overconsumption and promote a more sustainable, mindful approach to fashion.
- Policy support is crucial for scaling textile recycling. By mandating eco-design and recycled content in products, governments can drive market demand and encourage collaboration across the value chain, making sustainability the standard.
- The power of the social economy lies in its ability to create meaningful work while driving sustainability. By focusing on reuse, repair, and remanufacturing, it not only addresses environmental challenges but also empowers individuals facing barriers to the labour market.
- Nature as the ultimate example of circularity: circularity, in its truest form, can be seen in nature, where every element has a purpose and nothing goes to waste.
Nature, Purpose, and Circularity
Before diving into the core of the textile discussion, we took a moment to understand the person behind the mission. For Els, nature is a powerful source of inspiration. She draws strength and peace from the tranquillity of the outdoors, particularly Scandinavian landscapes that remind her of childhood canoe trips and hikes.
When asked what symbolises her vision of circularity, Els doesn’t mention a specific object. Instead, she refers to nature itself – a complex, interdependent ecosystem where everything has its place and role.
“In nature, nothing is wasted. Everything has a purpose, everything is part of a greater whole. For me, that’s the ultimate example of circularity.”
For Els, this is what true circularity looks like – and it’s a model we should aim to replicate in our societal systems.
Introducing Herwin: circular and social by nature
Herwin supports a network of enterprises that focus not only on circularity but also on inclusion. “Our members employ people who face difficulties in accessing the labour market,” Els explains. “And they work in a circular way; through reuse, repair, rental, or remanufacturing.”
Whether in textiles, food, or green maintenance, the core principle remains the same: create value from what already exists while offering meaningful work. Think of Kringwinkels or Oxfam – these aren’t just shops; they are engines of social impact and sustainability.
Reuse first: how it works in practice
Els emphasises that reuse is not just an option, but an absolute necessity for the future of the textile industry, as it is the cornerstone of creating a more sustainable and circular system. And that is what Kringwinkels aim to do: to maximise local reuse, and they are quite successful at it: around 26% of the collected textiles are reused within Flanders. However, a striking 64% is exported for reuse elsewhere, and about 10% ends up being incinerated.
Els explains how technology is gradually being integrated into the reuse process. In cities like Ghent and Antwerp, AI-powered scanners are being tested to automatically identify garments, describe them, and list them online, making it easier to digitize the secondhand offerings.
While these systems are still in the early stages of development, they point toward a more efficient, tech-enhanced future.
Too Much, Too Fast: a sector under pressure
But all is not rosy. The volume of donated textiles is skyrocketing, while their quality is plummeting. Fast fashion is largely to blame: lower-quality fibres, poorly made garments, and an overwhelming influx of clothes make sorting and reuse harder than ever.
In recent months, Herwin and its partners have been ringing alarm bells. “We’re seeing an increasing volume of textiles entering our centres, while the quality is dropping,” Els notes. “Compared to last year, the amount we had to incinerate almost doubled, up to 17%. And shockingly, some of those pieces were actually reusable.”
This disturbing trend, driven by overproduction and fast fashion, not only undermines reuse but also pushes social enterprises into a corner. Some Kringwinkels have had to rent extra storage or search for new export buyers, just to keep up.
This is not only a practical challenge, it’s a wake-up call.
Export: the double-edged sword
While 26% of collected textiles in Flanders are reused locally, a significantly larger portion – 64% – is exported, mainly to Eastern Europe, Africa, and Asia. This imbalance raises a crucial question: are we genuinely closing the loop, or merely shifting the problem elsewhere?
Els doesn’t shy away from these ethical complexities. She highlights the discomfort of a system that often prioritises convenience over responsibility. The problem isn’t just the sheer volume of exported garments, but the lack of transparency around what happens next. Once textiles leave Europe, we lose oversight. Some are reused in local markets, but many others overwhelm waste infrastructures in countries that never asked for these materials, threatening both environmental standards and local economies.
Herwin actively seeks to mitigate this by working with certified, OVAM-recognised exporters to ensure traceability and ethical handling. Yet even with careful practices, the broader system remains flawed. True circularity, Els believes, requires taking responsibility for the entire loop, not just what happens inside our borders.
Her experiences abroad drive the point home. Visiting places like Kantamanto market in Ghana, she witnessed firsthand how much care is taken to extend the life of garments through washing, repairing, and ironing. It’s a humbling reminder that reuse, when done right, is not just a necessity but an opportunity to rethink the way we value and handle textiles.
Recycling: the reality beyond the buzzword
With the decline in export, the sector is increasingly looking for ways to handle textile waste streams locally. According to Els, Herwin is actively exploring new recycling pathways through two research initiatives, one of which is the Labs on Fibre project, a living lab supported by the Flemish government and coordinated by her.
This project focuses on post-consumer textiles and also investigates the entire process that precedes recycling: from collecting and sorting materials by composition, to trimming and shredding before actual recycling can begin.
One of the main obstacles, she explains, is the limited demand for recycled materials (yarns, fabrics,..). For Els, this highlights the urgent need for policy support to stimulate recycled material markets.
Els also emphasises the importance of collaboration. In the Labs on Fibre consortium, Kringwinkels, Oxfam, and We Make Hope, despite being competitors, came together with a shared purpose. While each brings its own focus (social versus ethical), the cooperative spirit has remained strong throughout the project.
Another challenge, according to Els, lies in bridging the gap between sorters and recyclers. She stresses that the pre-trimming phase f.ex. remains highly manual and costly – barriers that must be addressed before true industrial-scale recycling can be achieved.
Policy plays a crucial role here as well. Els advocates for eco-design to ensure better quality and easier disassembly of garments, encouraging designers to think about a product’s end-of-life. She believes that even a small legal requirement, like 5% recycled content in new products, could significantly boost the market.
However, she also warns of global pressures. The influx of cheap, low-quality garments from markets like China is undercutting the secondhand and reuse sectors, even in Africa, where new items are sometimes cheaper than reused ones.
Finally, Els raises concerns about Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Currently, the cost of collecting and processing textiles rests heavily on sorters like Herwin. With rising incineration rates and declining reuse, Els stresses that producers must begin to share in these costs – otherwise, the system cannot hold much longer.
Despite these obstacles, she is confident that the recycling sector holds significant potential for growth.
Shaping the future of kringwinkels: four pillars for circular growth
According to Els, the future role of Kringwinkels should be guided by four key ambitions. First and foremost, they must continue to improve their core mission: reuse. But innovation is equally essential. Developing new business models – such as take-back and resale systems in collaboration with brands, or services like repair and rental – can create new circular pathways for textiles. Transparency in export is another priority, especially in light of global pressures on secondhand markets. Finally, Kringwinkels are gradually positioning themselves as players in textile recycling, with sorting lines already being adapted to support this shift. These steps mark a clear evolution toward a broader circular impact.
From ambition to action: a call to rediscover quality and care
In conclusion, Els’ message to both consumers and producers is simple but powerful: refocus on quality. By cherishing what we already own and appreciating the craftsmanship of garments, we can reduce overconsumption and bring more meaning back into our wardrobes.