The EU is reshaping the textile industry with rules that make clothing last longer, reduce waste, curb greenwashing and ensure brands take responsibility for their entire value chain.
At the heart of the EU’s Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles is a clear vision: by 2030, all textile products sold in Europe must be durable, repairable, recyclable, ethically made and supported by transparent information through Digital Product Passports (DPPs).
Designing clothes that last
Because 80% of a product’s environmental impact is locked in at the design stage, the EU will require brands to meet new eco-design standards: durability, ease of repair, recyclability, and minimum recycled content. Digital Product Passports will give consumers reliable sustainability information.
Cutting waste and stopping fast fashion excess
The EU wants to end overproduction and discourage disposable fashion. Exporting used clothing to developing countries will face stricter limits, and destroying unsold or returned goods will be restricted. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) rules will make brands financially responsible for the waste their products create.
Fighting microplastic pollution
Synthetic fibres shed millions of microplastics during washing. The EU is funding research and developing concrete measures to limit this unintentional pollution, which threatens oceans, food chains and human health.
Ending greenwashing
With over 200 vague sustainability labels in circulation, consumers often face misleading environmental claims. New EU rules require brands to prove all claims with evidence, ban generic terms like “eco-friendly”, and promote verified ecolabels such as the EU Ecolabel.
Ensuring ethical, responsible supply chains
Through the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, large companies must identify, prevent and address human rights and environmental risks throughout their global supply chains — including labour exploitation and harmful production practices.
Why this matters
The textile industry is among the world’s most polluting—high in water use, land use, chemical discharge and CO₂ emissions. With consumption expected to double by 2030, the EU aims to transform one of the world’s least sustainable sectors into a circular, fair and transparent system.
Bottom line:
The EU is not just greening fashion — it’s setting a global benchmark for how clothes should be designed, produced, marketed, used and recycled in a sustainable future.
