consent_cookie
Duración: 1 year
Stores the user's cookie consent state
News
Humana shows the public how it gives a second life to the used clothing it recovers
05-06-2025
Around 50 people have toured the plant for preparing for reuse (PxR) of textile waste that Humana has in Leganés (Madrid). The social economy organisation opened its doors on 5 June on the occasion of World Environment Day and as part of the Green Week promoted by the European Union (EU).
Individuals, university students and professionals from the sector, as well as representatives from organisations, companies and administrations, were able to learn first-hand about the process of managing used clothing, which allows Humana to give a second life to more than 90% of the textiles it recovers. One of the groups participating in the visit were students and teachers of the Istituto Europeo di Design.
In the first quarter of the year, Humana recovered 1,043 tonnes of textiles in the Community of Madrid, equivalent to 3.1 million garments. The destination of the recovered garments is the PxR plant in Leganés, one of the largest textile waste management centres in Spain with a surface area of 10,200 m².
The plant started its activity in 2010 and was expanded in 2018. It currently processes up to 45 tonnes of textile waste per day and has a team of 110 people. What is the destination of the sorted items?
- 62% is destined for reuse: 21% in Humana shops and 41% is exported, mainly to Africa, so that people with fewer resources can have access to clothing and thus we generate resources for development cooperation.
- 29% are by-products whose condition does not allow them to be reused; therefore, they are destined for recycling processes. 7% end up in landfill because they cannot be reused.
- 7% end up in landfill because they cannot be recycled.
- Two per cent are unfit for use.
The EU Green Week, whose motto is ‘Circular Solutions for a Competitive EU’, underlines the key role of circularity in the ecological transition. With 2025 as a key year for the sector (mandatory separate collection of textile waste already in place in EU member states and a revised Waste Framework Directive introducing Extended Producer Responsibility for textiles), information on the future of sustainable textile management was provided during the open day.
‘Preparation for re-use centres like ours are key to ensuring that used textiles are reintegrated into the market with the highest possible value’, says Rafael Mas, Head of Institutional Relations and Projects at Humana, “this helps to reduce waste, conserve resources and support local employment, while contributing to a cleaner and more circular Europe”.
Organised by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Environment, EU Green Week is Europe's leading environmental policy event. Now in its 25th year, the initiative engages policymakers, businesses, NGOs and citizens to highlight innovative solutions for a more sustainable future.
