Erfurt in used clothing chaos: containers are overflowing with garbage!

Erfurt in used clothing chaos: containers are overflowing with garbage!

A normal walk can sometimes bring completely unexpected surprises. That's what happened to Steffen from Erfurt, who discovered a used clothing container in the Rieth district, but it was anything but inviting. A pile of old clothes and garbage bags piled up around this container, which not only tarnishes the image of the neighborhood, but also raises questions about the correct use of these collection points. Steffen took a photo and shared it in an Erfurt Facebook group. His ironic comment about the improper use of the containers received a stunned response from other users who criticized the situation. According to thueringen24.de, the city of Erfurt sees the matter as an exceptional case: The container is illegal because it is not reported to the city and is not properly marked. The city plans to remove this and other badly damaged items of clothing in the coming days.

However, the problem with overfilled old clothing containers is not an isolated case in Thuringia. More and more municipalities and charitable organizations such as the German Red Cross (DRK) and the Maltese are reporting similar grievances. In cities like Jena, Gera, and Eisenach, container usage has increased significantly, leading to an increasing number of items being thrown in improperly. Mandy Plickert from the Weimar city administration describes that garbage is increasingly being placed next to the containers, which is putting additional strain on the situation. This is also confirmed by euwid-recycling.de.

Just too much rubbish

Unfortunately, the problem with waste in used clothing containers is not new. Charitable institutions like the DRK repeatedly have to sort the collected textiles in order to only pass on the usable parts to clothing stores. Often enough, they find that 65 percent of the clothing they collect is exported as second-hand goods, while the rest is either processed into insulation or simply burned. The sheer volume of dirty or damaged textiles makes the use of these containers uneconomical and stressful. The increase in fast fashion in particular is contributing to the worsening of the situation, as many items are of inferior quality, which makes recycling more difficult.

Consumers are also unsettled, and the introduction of the EU directive on the separate collection of used clothing from 2025 does not exactly help to clarify the situation. The consumer advice centers point out that only public waste disposal providers are affected by this regulation. Rubbish containers and improper disposal also lead to higher disposal costs for municipalities. Even the city administration of Jena is already reporting a structural withdrawal of collectors and reduced income from clothing collections.

What should be done?

There is an urgent need to be aware of the correct disposal of old textiles. Initiatives such as bund-naturschutz.de recommend only throwing clothes in really good condition into used clothing containers. Clean, sorted textiles should find their place there so as not to contaminate the remaining well-preserved items of clothing. Other options for donating clothing include acquaintance groups, clothing swap parties, or even specialized online platforms.

Ultimately, it is up to all of us not to view used clothing containers as a last resort, but to seriously contribute to environmental control. Because only together can we tackle the problem of overfilled used clothing containers and the associated challenges.