This report was produced in the project Textile flows in Finland 2019, carried out by the Finnish Environment Institute SYKE, Turku University of Applied Sciences (Turku UAS) and the South-West Finland Waste Management company (LSJH). It provides up-to-date information on textile flows needed for the development of the nationwide separate collection, reuse and recycling of used textiles and for the development of the overall sustainability of textile systems.

The mapping of the overall textile flows of Finland in 2019 shows that the Finnish economy is highly linked with foreign trade. Two thirds of the net supply of new textile products and garments were imported. The overall volume of end-of-life textiles generated was 85 770 tonnes, of which 18% was exported, 22% were reused or recovered as material in Finland, and 60% were recovered as energy.

The consumption of new clothes and household and similar textiles by one Finn was 11.3 kg in 2019. Overall, approximately 62 000 tonnes of clothes, household and similar textiles were supplied to Finland by households, public sector and enterprises in 2019. Concerning the development of textile circulation, the positive news is that the volume of end-of-life textiles collected from households has risen from 2012 and will continue to rise in future years.

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