The Spanish Association for Standardization, UNE, and the Spanish Federation of Recovery and Recycling (FER) organised a webinar on 13 March to present the UNE 40700 Standard Specifications for the handling and sorting of used textiles for reuse and recycling, which was published at the end of 2023. This standard was developed by the UNE Committee on Circular Economy for Textile Products and the Textile Chain ((CTN-UNE 40/GT 11)) as a result of the group's joint work, which began in 2022.<br>
The standard aims to define the procedures for the collection, storage and sorting of used textiles, following best practice and complying with current legal requirements. This will facilitate adequate preparation for re-use or further recycling, ensuring the quality of second-hand textiles and, where necessary, providing adequate input to the recycling process of textiles not suitable for re-use, in line with the waste hierarchy principle.
Aimed at professionals in the textile industry, such as textile producers, importers and retailers, as well as organisations involved in the sorting and recycling of post-consumer textile waste, this standard aims to provide a common framework for the handling and sorting of used textiles. During the webinar, both entities discussed the content of the standard and highlighted the advantages of having a standardised procedure in this area. Legislative developments that will impact on the textile reuse and recycling chain were also discussed.
The event was attended by UNE's Director of Standardisation Programmes and Stakeholders, Paloma García; UNE's Head of Textiles, Esther Bermejo; General Director of FER, Alicia Franco; and the Head of the Regulatory and Sustainability Area of FER, Isabel M. Nogales.
