Textile waste has become a headache for the European Union and its efforts to control it have not paid much dividends. Now the EU Commission proposed rules to make fashion brands responsible for the full lifecycle of their products.
The proposed rules also will require them to financially support the sustainable management of textile waste across the EU. The EU parliament will discuss the proposal and adopt rules after due consideration.
The new proposed rules are an extension of the EU commitment outlined through the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles to harmonize Extended Producer Responsibility rules for textiles and foster economic incentives for more sustainable and circular textile products.
The EU Commission’s proposal asks for the introduction of mandatory and harmonized Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes for textiles in all EU Member States, as EPR schemes have proven successful in improving waste management for other products, such as packaging, batteries, and electronic equipment.
The initiative is in line with the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles. The EU Commission states it will create local jobs, and save money for consumers, through separate collection, sorting, reuse, and recycling of textiles. It will mitigate the environmental impact of textile production.
Textile producers such as fashion brands and retailers will be required to cover the costs associated with textile waste management. This will force them to reduce waste and enhance the circularity of their products right from the design stage.
The financial contributions made by producers to the EPR scheme will be determined based on the environmental performance of their textiles, following the principle of ‘eco-modulation.’ Producers’ contributions will support investments in the development of separate collection, sorting, reuse, and recycling infrastructure.
The EU Commission further states that social enterprises engaged in textile collection and treatment will benefit from increased business opportunities and a larger market for second-hand textiles. The proposal also addresses the issue of illegal exports of textile waste to countries ill-equipped to manage it.
According to the European Commission, Europe generates 12.6 million tonnes of textile waste annually, with clothing and footwear alone contributing 5.2 million tonnes, equivalent to 12kg of waste per person each year. Currently, only 22 percent of post-consumer textile waste is collected separately for reuse or recycling, while the remaining portion is often incinerated or sent to landfill.
The EU’s goal is to push fashion companies to produce circular textiles that are durable and can be easily reused and recycled by 2030. In May, the European Commission spearheaded a ban on the destruction of unsold consumer products such as textiles and footwear.
EU further tighten fashion brands making them responsible for the full lifecycle of their products
