EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles published
30/03/22. The European Commission has published a new package of proposals to make sustainable products the norm in the EU. The Sustainable and Circular Textiles Strategy will make textiles more durable, repairable, reusable and recyclable – aiming to tackle fast fashion, textile waste and the destruction of unsold textiles, and ensure their production takes place in full respect of social rights.
The Commission's 2030 Vision for Textiles is that:
- all textile products placed on the EU market are durable, repairable and recyclable, to a great extent made of recycled fibres, free of hazardous substances, and produced in respect of social rights and the environment
- profitable re-use and repair services are widely available
- producers take responsibility for their products along the value chain
- circular clothes have become the norm with sufficient capacities for recycling and minimal incineration and landfilling
The Strategy lays out a forward-looking set of actions, including:
- setting design requirements for textiles to make them last longer, easier to repair and recycle
- introducing clearer information on textiles and a digital product passport
- stopping overproduction and overconsumption, and discourage the destruction of unsold or returned textiles
- harmonising EU Extender Producer Responsibility rules for textiles and economic incentives to make products more sustainable, including when they become waste.
- addressing the challenges from the export of textile waste
- incentivising circular business models including reuse and repair
For further information see
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/fs_22_2017