Home / Environment / Global Coalition Calls for Transparency Fix in UNEP Textile Trade Project
Global Coalition Calls for Transparency Fix in UNEP Textile Trade Project
17 Oct
Summary
- Stakeholders express concerns over lack of transparency in UNEP's Circularity and Used Textile Trade Project
- Challenges include restricted access to documents and unverified data used in the consultation process
- Signatories demand UNEP commission independent research and reconsider its guidelines
As of October 17th, 2025, a global coalition of trade bodies and stakeholders has expressed serious concerns over the lack of transparency in the Circularity and Used Textile Trade Project led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The coalition, which includes the Ghana Used Clothing Dealers Association (GUCDA), Recycling Europe, and the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association (SMART), has issued an open letter highlighting several challenges within the consultation process. They claim that stakeholders from countries like Ghana, Kenya, and Pakistan have faced issues such as brief timelines for feedback, restricted access to draft documents, and the use of unverified key data.
The signatories argue that this lack of transparency has hindered "meaningful participation" and independent review of the project, which aims to create global guidelines for distinguishing tradeable used clothing from textile waste. They emphasize that UNEP's policy recommendations must be accurate and impartial, and immediate action is necessary to remedy these issues.
The coalition's key concerns include the involvement of an NGO with a pre-existing waste advocacy campaign that is financially supported by the fast-fashion industry, as well as the potential for the project's findings to not fully reflect the realities of the global textile trade. They demand that UNEP correct its course, commission truly independent research, and reconsider its guidelines to ensure the success of the Circularity and Used Textile Trade Project.
