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United Nations Environment Programme
  • About the project
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Textile and apparel exports are vital for Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, and Egypt, accounting for a large portion of their total exports. This sector provides crucial livelihoods, with approximately 75% of its workforce comprised of women. Following a robust rebound to a $1.6 trillion valuation in 2023, projected to hit $3.3 trillion by 2030, the industry's upward trajectory is remarkable. However, fast fashion's rise has led to significant waste issues, costing over $500 billion annually. Developing countries have a high demand for second-hand clothing due to affordability, offering socio-economic benefits, particularly in informal sectors. Despite potential environmental benefits, challenges persist, especially concerning inadequate recycling infrastructure and the disposal of imported textiles.

Recognising the urgency to transition toward a sustainable and circular textile value chain, the project aims to identify possible key policy, financing, investment and regulatory priorities and the role of trade to enable a transformative change. The project will also develop a proposed framework to help differentiate between used textiles and textiles waste, which countries could adapt to their national contexts and dynamics.

This project will work in Ghana, Kenya, Pakistan and Tunisia, acknowledging the high amounts of used textile imports in those countries, as well as engage with interested countries and stakeholders in consultations globally. Collaborations are made with governments and national organizations, including the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in Pakistan, The Or Foundation in Ghana, and The Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA) in Kenya.

More information on the implementing countries tab.

This project forms part of the One UNEP Textile Initiative that encompasses and aligns all UNEP work on textiles to work towards its three priorities of eliminating hazardous chemicals, addressing overconsumption and overproduction, and scaling circular business models in the sector.  

For more information, please contact:

 

This project is operational in Kenya, Ghana, Pakistan and Tunisia, acknowledging the high amounts of used textile imports in those countries. The project will also engage other relevant countries and stakeholders in consultations globally. 

Collaborations in the four implementing countries are made with governments and national organizations: 

Kenya: The Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA)

Ghana: The Or Foundation

Pakistan: Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI)

Tunisia: Tunis International Center for Environmental Technologies (CITET)

 

Tunisia

National Stakeholder Dialogue: Advancing Circularity in the Used Textile Trade in Tunisia

Date: 18th of Nov 2025, 8.30am –13.00pm CET (Tunisia time), In Person (Tunis International Center for Environmental Technologies (CITET), Tunis, Tunisia) and Online

On November 18th, UNEP collaborated with the Tunis International Centre for Environmental Technologies (CITET) to host the National Stakeholder Dialogue: Advancing circularity in the used textile trade in Tunisia.

The dialogue took place under UNEP’s Circularity and Used Textiles Trade Project, funded by the European Union and implemented in partnership with CITET in Tunisia. During the dialogue, stakeholders spanning government, industry and international organisations discussed the pathway forward to promote circular approaches in the used textiles sector in Tunisia, considering economic, regulatory and social dimensions. Participants also exchanged feedback on a National Roadmap proposed by the project.

UNEP extends its thanks to the organisers and participants for their collaboration and insights in this successful dialogue.

Global Multistakeholder Dialogue: Toward a Global Guideline to Distinguish Used Textiles from Textile Waste

Date: 30th of Sept 2025, 13:00 PM – 15:30 PM (CEST),  8:00 AM – 10:30 AM (CLST), Online

Following the global consultation in May 2025, this global meeting will bring together a diversity of stakeholders with the aim:

  1. To present and discuss the revised version, incorporating stakeholders’ feedback/inputs of the global guideline that help distinguish used textiles from waste;
  2. Exchange and identify other key elements to include in the guideline, which would be integrated in the final iteration of the global guideline;
  3. Facilitate dialogue and exchange of knowledge, best practices, challenges and opportunities, joint solutions, and partnerships to enhance circularity in the trade of used textiles

Global Multistakeholder Consultative Workshop: Criteria and Guideline to Distinguish between Reusable Textiles and Textile Waste
Date: 27th of May 2025, 09:00 AM – 12:00 PM (CEST),  07:00 AM – 10:00 PM (UTC), Online  

The aim of the workshop is to seek inputs on a framework to develop global criteria to differentiate re-usable textiles from waste, along with guidelines and enabling conditions for the trade of used textiles to enhance circularity and sustainability, reduce environmental, economic and social impacts while maximizing shared benefits across trading partners. 

The consultation brought together stakeholders across the value chain - governments, industry, and civil society, to inform the development of these criteria and guidelines, drawing on research and consultations in four partner countries with the support of Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA) in Kenya, Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in Pakistan, The Or Foundation in Ghana, and Tunis International Center for Environmental Technologies (CITET) in Tunisia. 

Ghana

Multi Stakeholder Dialogue Circularity and Used Textiles Trade: Advancing Solutions 

Date: 26th of February 2025, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM (GMT), In person and Online

The Multi-stakeholder Dialogue brought together government ministries, industry partners, trade and importers associations, experts, civil society, and academia to: 

  1. Discuss on preliminary findings of the diagnosis study of the used textiles industry in Ghana, and presentation of the Circularity and Used Textiles Trade project.
  2. Exchange views on the country’s vision and strategy, and explore potential solutions, opportunities and recommendations to support greening of second-hand textile sector and its co-existence with the domestic textile manufacturing industry in Ghana;
  3. Examine, share perspectives and identify potential pathways and solutions to develop a criteria and a guideline to enhance the circularity on the trade of used textiles, which deliver socio-economic value and assist in delivering environmental agendas.  

Kantamanto Stakeholder’s Dialogue

Date: 3rd of December 2024, 9.00 AM – 4:00 PM GMT (GMT) / 10:00 AM - 05:00 PM (CET), In person and Online

The dialogue centered around the Kantamanto market - Ghana’s epicenter of the used textiles trade. It presented an overview of the used textiles value chain in Ghana and preliminary findings of the field work conducted in the market. It fostered discussion, exchange and prompt feedback from stakeholders in the market on these findings that aim to highlight the challenges and opportunities that exist within Ghana’s used textiles trade.

Kenya

Dissemination and National Policy Dialogue Workshop on Circularity and Used Textiles Trade
Date: 15th of July 2025, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM (EST), 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM (CEST), Online

The Dissemination and National Policy Dialogue Workshop brought together government ministries, industry partners and associations, development partners, experts, civil society, and academia to: 

  1. Discuss and exchange on the findings and recommendations resulting from the project on the circularity of the used textiles value chain in Kenya and its trade; 
  1. Share perspectives on the proposed national criteria and guideline to better differentiate used textiles from textiles waste; and 
  1. Exchange views on the policy framework to enable a circular transition in the trade of used textiles, and opportunities to support national policies and strategies to enhance the circularity and sustainability of the textile sector. 

Stakeholder Policy Forum on "Circularity and Used Textiles Trade in Kenya: Policy and Practice for Sustainable Development" 

Date: 6th August 2024, 09:00 AM to 12PM (EAT) / 08:00 – 11:00 AM (CEST), Online

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The virtual policy forum brought together government ministries, industry partners and associations, experts, civil society, and academia to: 

  1. Exchange on the current state of circularity and used textiles trade in Kenya,
  2. Share perspectives on the country’s vision and strategy to promote circularity of used textiles for sustainable development,
  3. Explore and identify potential policy recommendations, sustainable practices, and implementation strategies. 

Pakistan

Hybrid Meeting on Project Dissemination:  Circularity and Used Textiles Trade

Date: 16th of April 2025, 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM (CEST)/8:00 AM to 10:00 AM (CEST), In person and Online

The national policy dialogue in Pakistan convened senior officials of government ministries, EU Delegation to Pakistan, industry, experts, academia and key stakeholders to exchange on findings of the project implemented in Pakistan, discuss on a proposed policy framework to help Pakistan in advancing their ambitions for a circular textile sector, with a focus on used textiles, and explore opportunities to collaborate and amplify impact. 

We are honored to have Mr. Musadik Malik, Honourable Minister of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Government of Pakistan, who noted that Pakistan has long practiced an “organic circular economy” but still faces key challenges such as recycling infrastructure and public awareness, Ms. Barbara Riksen, Head of Economic Growth and Rural Development, EU Delegation to Pakistan and Ms. Sheila Aggarwal-Khan, Director, Industry and Economy Division, UNEP.

National Policy Dialogue: Circularity and Used Textile Trade in Pakistan

Date: 3rd of December 2024, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM (EAT) / 07:00 AM – 11:00 AM (CEST), Online 

The National Policy Dialogue on ‘Circularity and Used Textiles Trade in Kenya: Enabling Policy and Practice for Sustainable Development’ was held online on 3rd December 2024.

The National Policy Dialogue brought together government ministries, policymakers, industry associations, and key stakeholders to exchange views and explore potential policy solutions and opportunities to support co-existence of the secondhand textile sector and the domestic textile manufacturing industry in Kenya. The Dialogue also served as a platform to discuss perspectives and identify pathways to develop a criterion to better distinguish textile waste from secondhand textiles, and a guideline to determine the suitability of trading secondhand textiles to ensure delivery of economic and social value, coupled with advancing environmental agendas and objectives. Participants were presented with research findings from secondhand textiles trade in Kenya, which will help facilitate the discussions to advance the policy dialogue’s objectives.

National Policy Dialogue: Circularity and Used Textile Trade

Date: 6th November 2024 Time: 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM (PKT) / 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM (CEST) , In person and Online

The national policy dialogue convened government ministries, policy makers and key stakeholders to discuss, explore and identify potential policy solutions and enabling conditions to help Pakistan in advancing and delivering on national’s priorities, strategies and objectives to enhance the sustainability and circularity of used textiles trade, contributing to attain environmental objectives and sustainable development ambitions. 

Tunisia

Stakeholders Forum: Advancing the Circularity of Used Textile Trade in Tunisia

Date: Thursday, 06th February 2025, 10.00 am to 12.00 pm TNT, in person and online

Under the framework of the ‘Circularity and Used Textiles Trade project’ in Tunisia, this stakeholder forum brought together government ministries, industry partners, trade and importers associations, experts, civil society, and academia to: 

1) Exchange on the current state of circularity and used textiles trade in Tunisia; 
2) Share perspectives on the country’s vision and strategy to integrate approaches on used textiles as part of the circularity strategies in the textiles sector of Tunisia; 
3) Explore and identify potential pathways, sustainable practices, and enablers to advance in realizing the country’s objectives for enhanced sustainability and circularity in textiles and used textiles; 
4) Discuss and exchange on preliminary findings of the diagnosis study of the used textiles industry, and presentation of the Circularity and Used Textiles Trade project.

The Stakeholder Focus Group: Promoting Circularity in the Trade of Used Textiles

Date: 28th of August 2025, 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM (CEST)/8:30 AM to 12:30 PM (CET), In person and Online

The forum brought together stakeholders and experts from public and private institutions to:

  1. Discuss and share the progress of the study on the state of circularity in the trade of used textiles in Tunisia;
  2. Respond collectively to the questionnaire of the project exchange;
  3. Formulate national recommendations on the country's vision and strategy to integrate circular approaches in the field of used textiles, in particular on the content of the guidelines to be adopted in this context.

National Stakeholder Dialogue: Advancing Circularity in the Trade of Used Textiles in Tunisia

Date: Tuesday, 18th November 2025, 09:00am to 12:45pm, in Tunis and online

Objectives of the dialogue

As part of the  Circularity and Used Textile Trade project, the National Stakeholder Dialogue brought together various stakeholders to discuss the project's findings and to exchange and identify potential avenues for supporting Tunisia in its transition to a circular economy in the used textile trade, in line with national and international priorities.

More specifically, the national stakeholder dialogue aimed to:

▪    Present the final findings of the study on the state of circularity and the used textile trade in Tunisia carried out as part of the project;

▪    Discuss and present the main challenges identified, in line with national policy priorities and taking into account the challenges related to the European regulatory context;

▪    Discuss and contribute to the proposed national roadmap aimed at advancing the country's vision and strategy for integrating circular approaches in the field of used textiles,
in line with   national   and   international   priorities;

▪    Identify potential opportunities for institutional and technical capacity building in Tunisia, and respond to the challenges and needs identified;

▪    Explore modalities for future collaboration between national stakeholders, UNEP, and other international partners.

Overview of the Project.

 

 

 

Last updated: 13 Mar 2026, 18:14
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