The EU Announce Their Roadmap For Sustainable Textiles Including New Regulatory Measures To Control Waste And Promote Textile Circularity
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A roadmap setting out the European Union (EU) strategy for sustainable textiles was published early this month.
The initiative, launched by the European Commission, notes that the strategy is aimed at shifting the EU to a climate-neutral, circular economy where products are designed to be more durable, reusable, repairable, recyclable and energy-efficient.
The strategy’s focus is the textile industry and its recovery from the pandemic-induced crisis in a sustainable way, and also to make it more competitive, applying circular economy principles to production, products, consumption, waste management and secondary raw materials.
The initiative is likely to lead to legislative measures, including in the realm of waste textile products.
The initiative, intended to boost the EU market for sustainable and circular textiles, may lead to the setting of targets to significantly increase reuse and recycling efforts as well as green public procurement in the EU.
Textiles are the fourth highest-pressure category for the use of primary raw materials and water, after food, housing and transport, and fifth for GHG emissions.
It is estimated that less than 1% of all textiles worldwide are recycled into new textiles.
The EU textile sector, predominantly composed of SMEs, has started to recover after a long period of restructuring, while 60% by value of clothing in the EU is produced elsewhere.
In light of the complexity of the textile value chain, the EU are proposing a comprehensive EU strategy for textiles-based industry and stakeholder input to respond to these challenges.
The strategy will strengthen industrial competitiveness and innovation in the sector.
In turn, this will boost the EU market for sustainable and circular textiles, including the market for textile reuse, address fast fashion and drive new business models.
To achieve this, The EU are employing the following set of measures amongst others.
The New Sustainable Product Framework
Applying this framework includes
developing ecodesign measures to ensure that textile products are fit for circularity
ensuring the uptake of secondary raw materials
tackling the presence of hazardous chemicals
empowering business and private consumers to choose sustainable textiles and get easy access to reuse and repair services
Better Business And Regulatory Environment For Sustainable And Circular Textiles In The EU
In particular, the EU will provide incentives and support to
product-as-service models
circular materials and production processes
international cooperation for increased transparency
Guidance For Separate Textile Waste Collection
The goal is for EU countries to achieve high levels of separate textile waste collection by 2025.
Increased Recycling And Re-Use
The EU will boost textile sorting, re-use and recycling, through innovation and other means, encouraging industrial applications and regulatory measures such as extended producer responsibility.