While the global textile industry debates inventory overstock and resource waste, Turkey offers a different solution: a national-scale used clothing collection network. In 2026, the country extended its Zero Waste project to textiles, placing collection boxes at all PTT postal outlets, transforming household discards into recyclable social resources.
This move builds on a decade-old national framework. Launched in 2017 by First Lady Emine Erdogan, the Zero Waste project focuses on source reduction, waste sorting, and resource recovery. The textile-specific campaign marks a critical extension from municipal waste to industrial consumer goods.
Collection Network: From Post Offices to Closed-Loop System
Turkey's textile recycling chain is straightforward but highly organized. PTT outlets serve as front-end collection nodes. After residents deposit old clothes, staff register the items and transport them to processing centers, where they are sorted by type, fabric, condition, and reuse value, then disinfected.
The true innovation lies in the backend distribution. Samet Agirbas, chairman of the Zero Waste Foundation, explains that wearable clothes are distributed to needy groups through social assistance channels, while non-wearable textiles enter industrial recycling. Partner companies reprocess them into new products and, in return, donate new clothes to the foundation for charitable distribution.
This 'old-for-new' charity loop creates a closed cycle: social waste becomes public resources, companies gain brand image and CSR credits, and the government achieves textile waste reduction at minimal cost. For the industry, it means used clothes are no longer 'waste' but a quantifiable raw material pool.
Industry Impact: Secondary Supply Chains and Design Pressure
From an industry perspective, Turkey's campaign will trigger at least two ripple effects.
First, a secondary textile supply chain will accelerate. PTT's nationwide logistics network can aggregate volumes across urban and rural areas. Once volumes hit scale, sorting, disinfection, and reprocessing will spawn specialized service providers. Turkey could become a regional hub for secondary textile aggregation and reprocessing for the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe.
Second, producers will face pressure to rethink fabric design. When old clothes enter industrial recycling, material recyclability directly determines economic value. Blended fabrics, coated textiles, and complex trims become bottlenecks, while single-component fabrics (pure cotton, pure polyester) are preferred. Brands and mills must consider 'end-of-life recyclability' at the design stage, or risk devaluation in secondary markets.
Practical Recommendations
For Buyers - Prioritize single-component fabrics (pure cotton, polyester, nylon) to lower recycling thresholds and improve resale value in secondary markets. - Monitor PTT's sorting data as a benchmark for fabric recyclability design. - Engage with the Zero Waste Foundation to explore post-consumer recycled (PCR) fiber supply channels and secure future raw materials.
For Exporters - Assess growing demand for recyclable-design fabrics in Turkey; incorporate detachable trims (e.g., removable zippers, uncoated labels) in export products. - Track Turkey's recycling policy for re-export to the EU—the EU's 2025 textile waste management rules may grant green customs facilitation to Turkish recycled goods. - Partner with PTT or local recyclers to establish PCR fiber procurement agreements, locking in low-cost recycled raw materials.
Turkey's Zero Waste textile campaign is more than a charity program; it's an institutional challenge to the linear production model. When used clothing collection becomes national infrastructure, the industry must answer: what is your fabric worth in its second life?