Old clothing chaos in Templin: DRK struggles with flood of garbage!

Old clothing chaos in Templin: DRK struggles with flood of garbage!

What is happening in Templin is not understood by many citizens and is causing a lot of uproar. The responsible DRK organization has announced a surprising development: more and more women and men are throwing unsorted garbage bags containing old clothes in front of the DRK containers. This happens despite clear signs stating: “No rubbish dumping area”. You could almost think that these signs go unnoticed. Finally, there is great uncertainty following the change in the new circular economy law, which has been in force since 2025. It now stipulates that municipalities are obliged to collect old clothing separately, with clean textiles going into used clothing containers and worn-out textiles going into the residual waste bin, as shown Northern Courier reported.

The highlight of the matter is that a full 70% of the old clothes that end up in the DRK containers are now not usable - they are dirty or worn out. As a result, the German Red Cross (DRK) has temporarily dismantled the containers in Prenzlau, Eberswalde and Templin. The citizens we spoke to are concerned that they are not allowed to dispose of their old clothes in the household waste and are apparently throwing everything into the containers. In order to eliminate this uncertainty, the recommends Hamburg Consumer Center that heavily soiled or broken textiles should be disposed of as residual waste.

New regulations create confusion

The confusion is felt not only by citizens, but also by many non-profit organizations. The EU directive, which came into force in 2025, does not distinguish between wearable and damaged clothing. This has left many citizens unsure how to properly dispose of their old clothes. The new regulation aims to reduce the amount of waste and to recycle textiles better, which is extremely important, especially at the current time when the textile industry is considered one of the largest polluters of the environment. In this industry, only 1% of old clothing ends up in recycling, while the majority is burned or exported Eco test reported.

Across the EU, people buy almost 26 kilograms of textiles every year and throw away around 11 kilograms of them. It is estimated that around 17% of clothing is disposed of almost unworn. Demand for recycling capacity is high and capacity is already at its limit, adding to the challenges in the used clothing market. The low recycling rate and the increasing amounts of used clothing - also caused by the fast fashion industry - mean that the existing systems quickly reach their limits.

Practical tips for disposal

So what can citizens do? According to the UDG, there is an “ABC of waste” in which helpful disposal instructions can be found. Worn out old clothes belong in the residual waste bin, while usable clothes should be thrown into the old clothes container. Kathrin Schulz, contact person for the DRK clothing stores, recommended that people who want to hand in their old clothes make an appointment in advance. The opening times of the DRK clothing stores in the Uckermark are listed here to make it easier to drop off clothes.

In summary, the new legislation and EU directives have caused a lot of confusion. This is accompanied by the enormous challenge of sorting old clothes correctly and recycling them sustainably. Conscious consumption and wearing high-quality, long-lasting clothing, as recommended by many experts, can help defuse the problem. This is the only way we can ultimately make a positive contribution to the environment and make the clothing cycle sustainable.