Netherlands
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Country Overview
*All data is in tonnes per annum
TEXTILE WASTE
2,116,000
Post consumer textile waste
1,036,840
Cotton
42.17%
Polyester
10.70%
Poly cotton
12.46%
Acrylic
4.79%
Viscose
4.31%
Wool
1.76%
Polyamide
1.28%
Other blends
19.33%
Other pure materials
0.80%
Unknown
2.40%
pre consumer textile waste
Post Industrial textile waste
Cotton
Polyester
Poly cotton
Acrylic
Viscose
Wool
Polyamide
Other blends
Other pure materials
Unknown
Imported textile waste
Cotton
Polyester
Poly cotton
Acrylic
Viscose
Wool
Polyamide
Other blends
Other pure materials
Unknown
*This data is collectively from Netherlands, Germany, UK, Poland, Spain, & Belgium.
KEY POINTS ON T&a LANDSCAPE
Netherlands as a Key Apparel Trade Hub in the EU
€15.1B
Apparel Export (2023)
€17.3B
Apparel import (2023)
Netherland is the 3rd largest exporter and 5th largest importer of apparel within the EU. Despite lacking a significant domestic apparel manufacturing industry, its role as a major port has positioned it as a top apparel EU exporter. A large share of its imports (61.6%) come from outside the EU. The main supplier countries are China, Germany, Bangladesh, and Türkiye. Notably, among the top EU importers, the Netherlands pays the highest premium for intra-EU apparel imports compared to those from developing countries, with a price differential of €9.63
Dependence on Imported Cotton, Synthetic Fibres and Textiles
40 kTon
Annual Synthetic Fibre Import
170 kTon
Annual Synthetic Fibre Consumption
Netherlands is heavily dependent on imports for textiles, clothing, household textiles, cotton and synthetic fibres. Carpets and rugs dominate Dutch textile conversion and are the main export surplus category.
Limited Domestic Apparel Production with a Strong Re-Export Role
€13B
Clothing Import
€10B
Clothing Re-Export within the EU
The Netherlands has very limited domestic clothing production, mostly restricted to samples and prototypes, with large-scale manufacturing outsourced abroad mainly Asia, Turkey, and North Africa. Specialized, high-end textile and carpet firms still partly produce in the Netherlands due to their capital-intensive nature. The country also acts as a re-export hub.
Netherlands as EU's Textile Sorting and Export Hub
200,000 tonnes
Sorting Capacity (2020)
Netherlands is a major sorting and exporting hub, receiving large volumes of textiles from other EU Member States and re-exporting significant quantities outside the EU. It has a well-established collection and sorting ecosystem with a separate capture rate of 37%. Notably, almost the entire domestic sorting capacity is used to sort textiles from Germany, while 55 % of the collected textiles in the Netherlands are sorted abroad
waste cost
waste Type
composition
price
notes
Post-Consumer
Cotton / Wool / Acrylic
€0.02–0.14 / kg
Feedstock for fibre-to-fibre recycling
Other Notes
- Post-consumer textile waste in the Netherlands originated 65% from households and 35% from non-household sources
- In 2022, of the 21.6 kt of textile waste remaining in the Netherlands, 7.3 kt was rewearable, 6.2 kt was recycled, 7.1 kt went to residual waste, and 1 kt underwent further sorting.
- Polyester’s share rises at the waste stage, since clothing and household imports are polyester-heavy, unlike exported carpets.
production clusters
Key regions with apparel production
Amsterdam(A), Groningen(B), Rotterdam(C), Utrecht(D), Maastricht(E), Eindhoven(F) and Leiden(G)
Other Notes
Waste regulation
The Dutch textiles EPR regulation
The Dutch textiles EPR regulation, legally binding from July 1, 2023, makes manufacturers and importers of clothing and home textiles responsible for their products’ waste disposal. They must set up and finance separate collection systems and ensure recycling and reuse. The targets are 50% recycling or reuse by 2025, rising to 75% by 2030.
The Circular Textile Policy Programme 2020–2025
The Circular Textile Policy Programme 2020–2025 laid the foundation for circularity in the Dutch textile sector, aiming for 25% recycled or sustainable materials in products by 2025 and ensuring 30% of textiles are recycled after use. Building on this, the upcoming Policy Programme Textiles 2025–2030 sets more ambitious goals, emphasizing higher R-strategies with targets for reuse, repair, and post-consumer recycling. It further introduces circular design principles, digital product passports for transparency, and measures to curb overproduction and overconsumption.
EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles
EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles is a comprehensive plan aiming to transform how textiles are designed, produced, consumed, and disposed of across the EU. It includes measures to make textiles durable, repairable, recyclable, and largely made of recycled fibers, while addressing overproduction, microplastic release, and greenwashing. The strategy sets the goal to achieve a sustainable and circular textile sector by 2030, aligned with the European Green Deal and Circular Economy Action Plan.
Waste Framework Directive
Strengthens waste management by mandating all EU member states to separately collect textile waste from January 1, 2025 and imposing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes requiring producers to finance and organize the entire lifecycle management of their products’ waste. It emphasizes the waste hierarchy prioritizing prevention, preparing for reuse, recycling, recovery, and environmentally sound disposal, with clear definitions on when waste ceases to be waste (end-of-waste criteria)
EU Waste Shipment Regulation
Effective May 20, 2024, it tightens controls on waste shipments, including textiles, within and outside the EU. It bans most waste exports for disposal after May 21, 2026, requires audits, digital tracking, and enforces stricter penalties. The law supports the circular economy by ensuring environmentally safe waste management.
Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR)
Effective July 18, 2024, it mandates durability, repairability, recyclability, and increased recycled content for textiles and most products. It requires Digital Product Passports, bans destruction of unsold textiles by large companies, and enforces life cycle environmental impact reduction. The regulation enables product-specific rules and harmonized penalties, driving a circular economy and sustainable production.
Waste trade
146.61 kT
Import quantities (HS 6309, 631010)
204.33 kT
Export quantities (HS 6309, 631010)
Other Notes
- In 2022, 84% of separately collected textiles from the Netherlands were exported, with Poland being the largest importer. However, Poland accounted for just 10% of the total export volume, underscoring the fragmented structure of the used textiles market
green energy
12.22%
Share of modern renewables in final energy consumption
Other Notes
- Renewable Electricity Generation by source: wind (60%), solar (39.8%), hydro (0.1%)
- .Energy Investment Allowance (EIA): Let companies deduct 40 % of their investment costs in eligible energy-efficient or CO₂ reducing technologies from their personal or corporate income tax. To qualify, the investment must be included in the annually updated Energy List maintained by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency
- ISDE subsidy: It helps businesses in the Netherlands cover part of the investment costs for sustainable technologies—such as heat pumps, solar boilers, and small wind turbines—by party reimbursing initial investment costs of the device. The amount depends on the type of energy saving measure and its energy saving performance.
