Global trade and management status of used and waste textiles and its implications for China

LI Ying-ying; ZHAO Na-na; LI Jin-hui; DONG Qing-yin

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China Environmental Science ›› 2026, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (1) : 219-226.

Solid Waste

Global trade and management status of used and waste textiles and its implications for China

LI Ying-ying^1,2, ZHAO Na-na^1,2, LI Jin-hui^1,2, DONG Qing-yin^1,2

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Abstract

This paper reviewed current pollution situation of used and waste textile. the global trade of used and waste textiles was analyzed based on the United Nations Comtrade Database. The problems faced in China in this field were analyzed by tracking the management of used and waste textiles in the international community and typical countries, and in combination with China's used and waste textile policies and recycling practices. China didn’t effectively distinguish between "waste" and "used" textiles, lacked authoritative data on the generation, encountered numerous obstacles in industrial development, and there were disputes over the export of second-hand clothing. It was suggested that China's used and waste textile management should distinguish between "waste" and "used" textiles from the source, improve the data statistics system to separately count their relevant data, cultivate enterprises with long industrial chains to unblock industrial channels, track international trends and implement export restrictions in a timely manner.

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used and waste textiles / trade / recycling

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LI Ying-ying, ZHAO Na-na, LI Jin-hui, DONG Qing-yin. Global trade and management status of used and waste textiles and its implications for China[J]. China Environmental Science. 2026, 46(1): 219-226

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