Textile waste in cycling in Europe

The fabrics used in the cycling sector are designed to offer comfort, softness, resistance and lightness, which are essential for performance during sports.

These materials, such as those produced by companies such as Iron-ic, are structured to ensure excellent thermoregulation of the body, releasing and retaining heat depending on the external temperature.

However, the management of textile waste in the cycling sector, as in other sectors, is a major issue in terms of environmental sustainability.

The recycling and reuse of textile waste has become a crucial objective to reduce the environmental impact of the textile sector, which represents one of the largest and most influential industries in the world.

In Italy, starting from January 2025, the mandatory separate collection of textile waste has been introduced, with the aim of encouraging the recycling and reuse of fibres.

In the cycling sector, cycling apparel companies can adopt sustainable practices such as the use of recycled materials and design for sustainability to reduce the use of virgin resources and minimize waste generation.

The EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) scheme for the textile sector aims to triple the volumes of textile waste managed in the next six years.

This scheme will require companies to take responsibility for waste and pollution management, incentivizing the design of more recyclable products and more sustainable production processes.

The green ideology of the European Union requires the separate collection of textile waste due to the environmental impact of the textile sector and to promote the reuse and recycling of materials.

In this regard, the madness is that each municipality will have to prepare specific containers for the collection of clothing, which can be of various colors depending on the municipality (yellow, green or white).

Let us remember that 70% of waste is incinerated, buried or sent to third countries. Obviously, the bureaucratic lobbyists of Brussels do not give a damn.

In summary, sustainable management of textile waste in the cycling sector requires the adoption of recycling, reuse and sustainable design practices, in line with European and national regulations.