In December 2023, the European Union (EU) announced new rules to crack down on the fashion industry, the third most polluting industry in the world. This coalition of 27 countries is a pioneer in the effort to move away from fast fashion to a circular model. In 2022, the coalition introduced its Sustainable and Circular Textile Strategy, which is now being gradually incorporated into new (and existing) regulations due to come into force by 2030. In this article, we discuss five main takeaways from this new textile strategy:
—
On December 5, 2023, the European Union (EU) announced new rules to tackle the environmental problems caused by the fashion industry, the world’s third most polluting industry after fossil fuels and agriculture. The fashion industry produces 10% of the world’s total annual carbon emissions and is expected to produce a quarter of global emissions by 2050.
The main culprit is overconsumption: due to the increasing popularity of cheap, low-quality fashion products from major fast fashion chains such as Shein, Primark, Forever21, Uniqlo, Zara and H&M, global clothing consumption almost doubled between 2000 and 2015 and is expected to reach a staggering 102 million tonnes by 2030.
The environmental impact of fast fashion
Fast fashion negatively impacts the environment in many ways. The fashion industry is the second largest consumer of water. In fact, current textile dyeing and processing procedures require around 93 billion cubic meters of water per year, which is enough water for 5 million people. These processes are responsible for 20% of the world’s wastewater.
Moreover, the industry generates huge amounts of waste. The number of times people wear their clothes has fallen by more than a third over the past 15 years to an average of seven times. This contributes to the enormous amount of textile waste generated around the world each year: 92 million tons. Less than 1% of used clothing is recycled into new clothes, and 87% of clothing fibers are incinerated or dumped in landfills. This equates to one garbage truck full of clothing being incinerated or dumped every second. Typical clothing landfills are located in Accra (Ghana), Panipat (India) and the Atacama Desert (Chile), where fibers can take up to 200 years to decompose.
Furthermore, synthetic textiles (made from plastic) shed plastic fibres every time they are washed, the majority of which end up in the ocean. It is believed that around 60% of clothing and 70% of household textiles contain plastic. As a result, an estimated 500,000 tonnes of plastic fibres end up in the ocean every year, the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles. These microfibers spread through the food chain, threatening the health of animals and humans.
Also see: Are microplastics harmful and how can you avoid them?
About 500,000 tonnes of plastic fibres end up in the ocean every year. Photo by Sören Funk/Unsplash.
The entire fashion supply chain is not only decentralized, but also lacks transparency. Major fast fashion chains outsource manufacturing entirely to textile factories in China and Bangladesh, where labor and production costs are extremely low. Because apparel companies have little oversight of the production process in these far-flung factories, or the working conditions of the mostly female textile workers, environmental and human rights issues in the textile manufacturing industry have long been overlooked.
You might also like: The Dangers of Sweatshops
EU Strategy on Sustainable and Circular Textiles
The EU has been at the forefront of tackling these challenges and has promoted the transition from fast fashion to circular fashion through a comprehensive set of policies.
The 2022 EU Sustainable and Circular Textiles Strategy will be a cornerstone of these efforts. It is part of a larger effort by the 27-nation EU to establish a circular economy across all industries, achieve climate neutrality by 2050 and implement commitments made under the 2019 European Green Deal, the 2020 new Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) and the fashion industry’s Industrial Strategy.
The new strategy announces new binding regulations, or updates to existing regulations, that will come into force in the coming years for EU member states and companies operating in or across the EU. But what exactly does this mean for EU consumers?
1. Consumers will have more opportunities to buy sustainable clothing
The Ecodesign Regulation for Sustainable Products (ESPR) lays out new binding ecodesign requirements for textile products. These requirements aim to encourage companies to become more circular and extend the life of garments by making materials more durable or recyclable, using waterless dyeing methods, using waste as a raw material for fabrics, putting fewer collections on the market and offering repair services and second-hand collections to consumers.
The EU also offers companies financial incentives to make their products more sustainable, mainly through ecomodulation: lowering fees for brands that offer eco-friendly products and increasing fees for brands that offer less eco-friendly products. Sustainable companies can opt for subsidies and tax breaks, while research, innovation and investment in circular fashion are supported through tenders, loans and grants by the EU and its member states. As a result, consumers have more opportunities to buy affordable and sustainable clothing.
You might also like: How repairing your clothes can help slow climate change
2. Clothing that consumers return or discard will no longer end up in standard landfills in faraway countries.
To promote the reuse and recycling of textile waste, the EU has introduced Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for textiles, which will come into force in member states by January 1, 2025. Fashion brands and retailers will take full responsibility for the entire life cycle of textiles. EPR includes a ban on the disposal of unsold or returned textiles, and an obligation to collect textile waste separately from other types of waste.
The EU’s Waste Framework Directive will be updated to ban the export of textile waste. Textile waste will only be allowed to be exported to non-OECD countries under certain strict conditions. The EU will also set more specific disposal criteria to prevent textile waste from being mislabelled as second-hand goods when exported.
3. Reduce the amount of microplastics released from consumers’ clothing
To prevent the unintentional release of microplastics from textile products, rules on manufacturing processes have been introduced, which may include restrictions on product design, pre-washing, innovative products such as built-in washing machine filters and new wastewater treatment procedures.
4. Consumers can be more informed about the origin and sustainability of their textile products
To ensure transparency, fairness and trust throughout the textile supply chain, a new mandatory digital product passport has been introduced, including circular and environmental requirements. Apparel companies must provide accessible information on durability, repairability, recycled content and materials used to help consumers make smart purchases. This information must be included on either a physical or digital label.
Transparency and fairness will also be ensured by the upcoming Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. This is another EU initiative aimed at promoting sustainable, responsible and transparent corporate behaviour not only in the fashion industry but throughout global supply chains. Companies will be required to fulfil due diligence obligations to identify, prevent, mitigate or end the adverse impacts of their activities and supply chains on human rights and the environment. The Directive is expected to come into force in 2025 and applies not only to large EU companies but also to non-EU companies operating in the EU zone. In case of non-compliance, member states can impose fines and affected parties can take legal action.
5. Consumers will be less likely to fall for deceptive greenwashing campaigns by fast fashion chains
The Green Claims Initiative imposes stricter rules against greenwashing, banning the use of generic claims such as “green”, “eco-friendly” or “good for the environment” unless they are backed by an official EU eco-label or official authority.
As the world grapples with the effects of overconsumption and excess waste, the EU stands out as a pioneer and proactively presents its new textile strategy as a beacon of hope. With clear policies and regulations to achieve circularity throughout the textile supply chain, the EU is tackling the environmental challenges arising on both the demand and supply side of the industry.
With supply chains spanning the globe and the EU being a key market for many international companies, these pioneering regulations are likely to have a positive impact on the global fashion industry. While the road is not over, the EU’s efforts offer hope that a future in which fast fashion goes out of style is achievable.
Also see: Fast fashion and its impact on the environment
