Take-back Trickery: An Investigation into Clothing Take-back Schemes

An investigation using airtag trackers on 21 items of good-quality clothing submitted to ten fashion brands in the UK, France, Belgium, and Germany found that these take-back schemes often fail to prioritize reuse. Findings show items in excellent condition were downcycled, destroyed, or shipped to African markets where they often become waste, while others remained stagnant in warehouses. The report argues these schemes provide a false sense of environmental responsibility and often encourage further consumption through discounts, calling for stronger EU legislation and extended producer responsibility.

• Tracking of 21 high-quality clothing items submitted to ten brands (H&M, Zara, C&A, Primark, Nike, Boohoo, New Look, The North Face, Uniqlo, and M&S) revealed that many items were downcycled or destroyed despite being suitable for reuse. For example, a pair of trousers in perfect condition dropped at M&S in the UK was downcycled at a Veolia plant within one week, and items in great condition were shredded at a SOEX facility in Germany.
• A significant portion of tracked items were shipped to Africa, entering second-hand markets with inadequate waste management. Specifically, items from C&A and H&M traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mauritania, and Mali; one H&M skirt from London was tracked to a vacant lot in Bamako, Mali, suggesting it was dumped.
• Some items remained 'lost in limbo,' staying in collection containers or warehouses across Europe for up to a year, meaning brands gained reputational benefits without actually processing the clothing.
• The investigation identifies SOEX and ReSales Textilhandels- und -recycling GmbH (part of the TEXAID group) as key intermediaries. SOEX processed six items, with three shipped to Africa and the rest downcycled despite being in resellable condition. ReSales had one item burned for fuel at a cement plant and another shipped to Mauritania.

APA

Changing Markets Foundation (2023). Take-back Trickery: An Investigation into Clothing Take-back Schemes. https://changingmarkets.org/report/take-back-trickery-an-investigation-into-clothing-take-back-schemes/

Chicago

Changing Markets Foundation. Take-back Trickery: An Investigation into Clothing Take-back Schemes. 2023. https://changingmarkets.org/report/take-back-trickery-an-investigation-into-clothing-take-back-schemes/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Changing Markets Foundation |title=Take-back Trickery: An Investigation into Clothing Take-back Schemes |date=30 July 2023 |url=https://changingmarkets.org/report/take-back-trickery-an-investigation-into-clothing-take-back-schemes/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{changingmarketsfoundation2023takeback, author = {{Changing Markets Foundation}}, title = {{Take-back Trickery: An Investigation into Clothing Take-back Schemes}}, institution = {Changing Markets Foundation}, year = {2023}, month = jul, url = {https://changingmarkets.org/report/take-back-trickery-an-investigation-into-clothing-take-back-schemes/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }