EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles
The European Commission has created a sustainable directive for the textile industry by launching the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles. The strategy is based on data that highlights the negative impact the textile sector has on the environment and aims to make textiles more durable, repairable, reusable, and recyclable. The proposed measures will impact both consumers and companies within and outside the EU, and aim to increase transparency, sustainability, and responsibility throughout the textile chain. By implementing this strategy, the Commission aims to mobilise designers, producers, retailers, advertisers and citizens in re-defining fashion.
As part of the European Green Deal, the new Circular Economy Action Plan and the Industrial Strategy, as of 2022, they have published the highly anticipated EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles, spotlighting the critical imperative to identify and regulate the social and environmental impacts created by the fashion and textile industries. They have made it clear that the need to address these issues is now more urgent than ever before.
The Commission’s Strategy is based on data that speaks to the environmental degradation caused by the textile industry. Currently, less than 1% of textiles waste is recycled into new fibres for clothing. Worldwide, a truckload of textiles is sent to landfills or incinerated every single second, while in Europe specifically, textile consumption has the fourth highest environmental impact after climate change, food, housing and mobility. The textile sector is also the third highest user of water and land, and fifth highest user of primary raw materials and greenhouse gas emissions, according to the data provided in the Commission’s Strategy.
Importantly, the co-creation of a Transition Pathway could help establish a clear and concrete roadmap for the textiles industry to achieve the 2030 goals set by the Textiles Strategy.
The EU Commission’s Proposed strategy intends to:
“Make textiles more durable, repairable, reusable and recyclable, to tackle fast fashion, textile waste and the destruction of unsold textiles, and to ensure their production takes place in full respect of social rights”.
Some of the specific measures and regulations they plan on implementing will impact consumers and companies within the EU and outside of it, include:
Mandatory minimums for the inclusion of recycled fibres in textiles; per the The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, making them longer lasting, and easier to repair and recycle. This is likely to positively impact consumers by providing them with textiles that are more sustainable and longer lasting. Companies may need to invest in new technologies and processes to meet the design requirements, potentially leading to increased costs.
Banning the destruction of unsold products; still under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation large companies will have to publicly disclose the number of products they discard, reasons for the discarded volumes and information on the volume of discarded products sent out for reuse, remanufacturing, recycling, energy recovery and disposal operations. This could lead to more transparency and accountability for companies regarding their waste management practices. Companies will need to re-evaluate their production and inventory management strategies to avoid overproduction.
The commission plans on introducing a Digital Product Passport for textiles; based on mandatory information requirements on circularity and other key environmental aspects. This will give clearer information on textiles to ensure consumers know the environmental impacts of their purchases (energy use, recycled content, presence of substances of concern, durability, reparability, repair score, recyclability). Whilst companies may need to invest in new technologies to implement the digital Product Passport, this measure will improve transparency for consumers.
Another important aim is focused on empowering consumers by setting up tight controls on greenwashing; with stricter rules to protect consumers and direct links to the upcoming Green Claims Initiative. This regulation will restrict the use of marketing terms such as “green”, “eco-friendly”, “good for the environment” if they are not justified and verified as required. Companies may need to make changes to their marketing practices and product labelling to align with the new rules, but consumers would be benefited from having more accurate information about the environmental impact of the products they choose.
There is also intent to tackle the release of microplastics into the environment. From textiles for product design, to manufacturing processes, to pre-washing at industrial manufacturing plants and labelling, to the promotion of innovative materials. This measure will help to reduce the environmental impact of textiles and ensure their sustainable production.
By Extending Producer Responsibility for textiles and launching economic incentives to make products more sustainable; (“eco-modulation of fees”), as part of the revision of the Waste Framework Directive in 2023, the EU commission aims to heighten the responsibility for companies regarding the sustainability of their products. By supporting research into co-financing projects for technological innovation and circular fashion business models, as well as supporting the uptake of partnerships within the social and circular economy, the Commission could drive more innovation and investment in the textiles industry. Companies may benefit from increased funding and support for R&D efforts.
By introducing effective due diligence policies, the Commission can help identify, prevent, mitigate, and end actual and potential human rights and environmental harms in companies’ business operations and value chains. This measure can improve social and environmental practices throughout the textile chain, both upstream and downstream.
To address the overproduction and overconsumption of clothing, the Commission intends to promote the transition under the motto #ReFashionNow, by putting quality, durability, longer use, repair and reuse at the core. In doing so, they can facilitate the scaling up of resource-efficient manufacturing processes, and other new circular business models in the textiles sector to create EU labour that is local, inclusive, and conscious of the environment. Consumers will benefit from longer lasting and more durable clothing, at the exchange of companies shifting their business models to prioritize quality over quantity.
Through making a distinction between waste and certain second-hand textile products, the policy for Export of textile waste can avoid that waste streams are falsely labelled as second-hand goods when exported from the EU and in this way escape the waste regime. A call under LIFE has been launched to improve the traceability of exports of used textiles and textile waste. Companies may need to make changes to their waste management practices complying with the new rules.
Finally, by revising the Waste Framework Directive review in 2023, the EU will encourage and incentivise the reuse and recycling of textile waste. Companies may need to make changes to their waste management practices and invest in new technologies to support circularity.
References & Further reading
- European Commission’s Sustainable and Circular Textiles by 2030 visual factsheet.
- European Commission’ official communication and the targeted stakeholder consultation
- EU strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles
- Questions and answers on EU strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles
