# Italian textile recycling pilots

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/italian-textile-recycling-pilots
> Updated: 2026-07-28T10:58:52.000Z. Sources: 9. Developments: 2.

In late July 2026 Milan expanded its “Un sacco et(n)ico” campaign in Municipio 9, pairing outreach with the new Retex Re‑Store pilot that turns clothing stores into digital drop‑off points. The initiative, run with waste‑manager Amsa, aims to lift the city’s 63 % textile‑recycling rate.

A week later Turin launched the “Raccogli‑AMO” pilot under the Erion Textiles consortium. Building on a May 2026 pilot in Naples, the scheme now offers free in‑store collection at eleven retailers—including Zara, Elena Mirò, Kiabi, Decathlon, Upim, Terranova, Calliope and Rinascimento—and is operated with Amiat Gruppo Iren and Humana People to People Italia. Collected garments are directed to authorised facilities for reuse, recycling, energy recovery or disposal, providing a field test for the extended producer responsibility (EPR) rules slated for nationwide rollout by summer 2026.

The pilots illustrate Italy’s coordinated push toward a circular textile economy, seeking to raise consumer awareness and improve sorting rates ahead of the national EPR framework. Europe generates roughly 7 million tonnes of textile waste annually, of which only 28 % is correctly sorted; the Italian programmes aim to shift these figures by expanding collection points and digital tracking.

## Claims

- Erion Textiles launched the 'Raccogli‑AMO' textile‑waste collection pilot in Turin starting July 2026. (corroborated by 5 sources)
- The pilot involves 11 participating retail stores in Turin, including Zara, Elena Mirò, KIABI, Decathlon, UPIM, Terranova, Calliope and Rinascimento. (corroborated by 5 sources)
- Consumers can drop off unwanted clothing for free at the participating stores. (corroborated by 5 sources)
- The pilot tests Italy's extended producer responsibility (EPR) system for the fashion and apparel sector, expected to be operational by summer 2026. (corroborated by 5 sources)
- Europe generates about 7 million tonnes of textile waste per year, roughly 16 kg per person. (corroborated by 5 sources)
- Only about 28% (1.95 million tonnes) of European textile waste is correctly sorted, while roughly 72% (5 million tonnes) ends up in the 'black bag' without recovery. (corroborated by 5 sources)
- The project is carried out in collaboration with Amiat Gruppo Iren and Humana People to People Italia, which will manage collection and processing of the textiles. (corroborated by 5 sources)
- Collected textiles may be directed to reuse, recycling, energy recovery, or, if not feasible, disposal, depending on material condition and market factors. (corroborated by 5 sources)
- The pilot expands from a previous pilot launched in Naples in May 2026. (corroborated by 5 sources)
- Eleven Turin retailers – Zara, Elena Mirò, Kiabi, Decathlon, Upim, Terranova, Calliope and Rinascimento – are participating in the pilot. (corroborated by 5 sources)
- Consumers can drop off used clothing free of charge at the participating stores. (corroborated by 5 sources)
- Europe generates about 7 million tonnes of textile waste each year, roughly 16 kg per person. (corroborated by 5 sources)

## Timeline

### 2026-07-28: Erion Textiles launches textile‑waste collection pilot in Turin

Erion Textiles launches the Raccogli‑AMO textile‑waste pilot in Turin (July 2026) with 11 stores, partnering with Amiat Gruppo Iren and Humana People to People Italia to collect and process used clothing ahead

6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/erion-textiles-launches-textile-waste-collection-pilot-in-turin

### 2026-07-22: Milan expands waste‑separation programmes with municipal and retail textile collection pilots

Milan’s municipality and Amsa rolled out two waste‑separation pilots: the third “Un sacco et(n)ico” programme for merchants in Municipio 9 and the Retex Re‑Store textile‑collection service in clothing stores, a

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/milan-expands-wasteseparation-programmes-with-municipal-and-retail-textile-collection-pilots

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Cite as: Italian textile recycling pilots. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/italian-textile-recycling-pilots