Chaos for old clothing containers in Aalen: City reaches through!

Chaos for old clothing containers in Aalen: City reaches through!

In the Fackelbrückenstraße in Aalen, there is a worrying picture: several cubic meters of clothing residues, residual waste and waste glass have accumulated in front of old clothing containers. The Mayor of Aalen Bernd Schwarzendorfer instructed the city building yard to immediately remove these deposits. The cost of cleaning up is charged to the property owner, since the containers are on private ground and are therefore illegal according to the city administration. This measure takes place as part of the new regulations regarding old clothing disposal, which also affect the municipal council decision from 2023 to approve containers in private areas.

The city of Aalen will soon act in accordance with the far -reaching changes to dispose of textiles. There are currently twelve old clothing containers in Aalen, but they are only legally positioned on public ground. The regulation for approval is intended to reduce the effort for the processing of permits and controls. The Ostalbkreis, responsible for containers on private grounds, has also taken measures to take action against the property owner who did not respond to the previous requests.

New regulatory framework for textile disposal

With a view to the EU-wide separation collection for textile waste, which has been in effect since January 1, 2025, the municipalities make a contribution to the proper disposal of textiles. Even if old clothes and shoes are not considered a dangerous waste, the new EU directive causes confusion among consumers. This regulates that textiles have to be disposed of in old clothing containers, even if they are dirty or damaged. However, the Hamburg Consumer Center has recommended that you dispose of heavily dirty or broken clothing in residual waste. There is currently no functioning recycling system for old textiles, and only about one percent new clothing comes from recycled material.

The situation is also complicated by the fact that many non -profit organizations ask that they only throw usable old clothes into the containers. In cooperation with the municipalities and the GOA, the Ostalbkreis has coordinated a procedure for the disposal of textiles in order to ensure a comprehensive offer despite the heavily broken old textile market. Since the introduction of the new regulations, the amount of wild clothes and garbage bags has increased in front of the containers, as was observed on April 23.

a global problem

The challenges in disposal and recycling of textiles are not only locally, but also global. Europe's consumers buy almost 26 kilograms of textiles every year, of which around 11 kilograms are immediately disposed of. In Germany, every person buys an average of 60 clothing a year, with almost 17% of these clothing almost unworn in the trash. The textile industry is one of the largest environmental pollution and is responsible for 20% of worldwide water pollution. The majority of the old clothes, around 87%, are burned, which produces additional CO₂ emissions.

The confusion about the disposal of old textiles and the challenges in the collection and recycling impressively show how important it is to inform citizens about proper disposal options. The new EU directive aims to reduce garbage amounts and improve the recyclability of textiles. Consumers should make sure to buy the highest possible and repairable clothing in order to reduce the ecological footprint of the textile industry.

The situation in Aalen is therefore not isolated, but part of a much bigger problem that not only has environmentally political consequences, but also affects the social Dimension of old clothing disposal.

Schwäbische Post
NDR