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Environment

EU strategy for sustainable and circular textiles

To create a greener, more competitive textiles sector

Yellow background with recycling symbol made of textiles.

The EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles addresses the production and consumption of textiles, whilst recognising the importance of the textiles sector. It implements the commitments of the European Green Deal, the Circular Economy Action Plan and the European industrial strategy.

Textiles are the fabric of everyday life - in clothes and furniture, medical and protective equipment, buildings and vehicles. However, urgent action is needed as their impact on the environment continues to grow. EU consumption of textiles has, on average, the fourth highest impact on the environment and climate change, after food, housing and mobility. It is also the third highest area of consumption for water and land use, and fifth highest for the use of primary raw materials and greenhouse gas emissions.

The Strategy looks at the entire lifecycle of textile products and proposes coordinated actions to change how we produce and consume textiles.

5 million tonnes
of clothing discarded each year in the EU - around 12kg per person
20 to 35 jobs
created for each 1000 tonnes of textiles collected for re-use
1%
of material in clothing is recycled into new clothing

Objectives

The Strategy aims to create a greener, more competitive sector that is more resistant to global shocks. 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, produced in respect of social rights and the environment
  • ”fast fashion is out of fashion” and consumers benefit longer from high quality affordable textiles
  • profitable re-use and repair services are widely available
  • the textiles sector is competitive, resilient and innovative with producers taking responsibility for their products along the value chain with sufficient capacities for recycling and minimal incineration and landfilling

Actions

The Strategy lays out a forward-looking set of actions. The Commission will

  • Set design requirements for textiles to make them last longer, easier to repair and recycle, as well as requirements on minimum recycled content
  • Introduce clearer information and a Digital Product Passport
  • Reverse overproduction and overconsumption, and discourage the destruction of unsold or returned textiles 
  • Address the unintentional release of microplastics from synthetic textiles  
  • Tackle greenwashing to empower consumers and raise awareness about sustainable fashion
  • Introduce mandatory and harmonised Extender Producer Responsibility rules for textiles in all Member States and incentivise producers to design products that are more sustainable
  • Restrict the export of textile waste and promote sustainable textiles globally
  • Incentivise circular business models, including reuse and repair sectors
  • Encourage companies and Member States to support the objectives of the Strategy

Implementation

Timeline

Key dates related to the strategy

  1. 5 July 2023
    European Commission adopts proposal for a targeted revision of the Waste Framework Directive

    The revision is proposing to introduce mandatory and harmonised Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes for textiles in all EU Member States.

    Find out more in the press release.

  2. 6 June 2023
    European Commission publishes the Transition Pathway for the Textiles Ecosystem, co-created by the Commission and relevant actors in the sector

    Find out more on the transition pathway.

  3. 22 March 2023
    European Commission adopts proposal for a Directive on Green Claims

    Find out more in the press release, questions and answers, and factsheet. 

  4. 26 January 2023
    European Commission launches ReSet The Trend campaign

    The campaign aims to engage Europeans in the battle against fast fashion and raise public awareness about the EU textiles strategy.

    Find out more about the campaign. 

  5. 30 March 2022
    European Commission adopts the Empowering Consumers in the Green Transition Directive

    European Commission adopts the Empowering Consumers in the Green Transition Directive.

  6. 30 March 2022
    European Commission adopts the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation 

    Find out more in the press release, questions and answers and factsheet.

  7. 30 March 2022
    European Commission adopted the EU strategy for sustainable and circular textiles

    Find out more in the press release and questions and answers.

  9. 11 March 2020
    European Commission adopted new Circular Economy Action Plan

    Find out more

Policy areas

Related strategies

Documents

News

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