Circular and Sustainable Textiles and Clothing

As part of the Sustainable and Circular Textiles Strategy, legislation pertaining to textile labelling is being reviewed. Additionally, a decision has been made to establish a delegated act for clothing under the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation. Currently, preparatory studies are being conducted for both initiatives, which involve various feedback moments in the form of meetings and surveys.

Have a look at the different initiatives and feel free to participate in each of them! Your opinion matters!

By 2030, textiles on the EU market should be durable and recyclable, largely made of recycled fibres, free of hazardous substances and produced in an environmentally friendly way while respecting social rights. Fast fashion should be ‘out of fashion’ and re-use and repair services would be widely available. Textiles should be collected at the end of their lifetime and their incineration and landfilling reduced to a minimum thanks to innovative fibre-to-fibre recycling. 

On 30 March 2022, the European Commission adopted its proposal for the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). This Regulation will enable the setting of far-reaching performance and information-related requirements – known as ‘ecodesign requirements’ – for specific product groups, to make them more environmentally sustainable and circular. Together with the ESPR proposal, the Commission presented the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles which aims, inter alia, to tackle fast fashion and textile waste and to make textiles more durable, repairable, reusable, and recyclable. The Strategy lays out a forward-looking set of actions, which includes setting ecodesign requirements for textiles under the new ESPR framework. The Strategy also announces a revision of the EU Ecolabel criteria for textiles to support its uptake among producers and offer consumers an easily recognisable and reliable way to choose eco-friendly textile products.

In order to support the fulfilment of these commitments, the European Commission has launched a preparatory study by the Commission’s Joint Research Centre. This preparatory study aims to provide a basis on which the Commission can consider the introduction of ecodesign requirements, green public procurement criteria and revised EU Ecolabel criteria for textile products. These instruments will be considered in parallel to ensure maximum synergy and complementarity. The JRC will carry out research in line with the proposed Ecodesign for Sustainable Product Regulation, following the structure prescribed by the Methodology for Ecodesign of Energy-related Products (MEErP). This methodology will be adapted where appropriate to adequately consider the relevant product sustainability aspects of textiles. 

The Commission will revise the textile labelling Regulation (planned for the 4th quarter 2024) to introduce specifications for physical and digital labelling of textiles, including sustainability and circularity parameters based on requirements under the proposed Regulation on eco-design for sustainable products.

The revision is driven by the empowerment legislation, green claims addition to unfair consumer legislation and Ecodesign legislation.

• Preparatory study
• 2023 Commission work programme
• EU strategy for sustainable and circular textiles
• Textile labelling rules (under revision)
• EU textile strategy

The EU Textile Labelling Regulation 1007/2011 sets the rules for textile labelling, as well as for the use of textile fibre names for products that are composed of at least 80% textile fibres by weight.

The TLR will be updated with specifications in new labelling domains with due consideration for other current legislative initiatives impacting the textiles sector.

EURATEX Position

• The regulation should focus on consumer goods, namely garments.
• Ideal requirements should balance high environmental objectives, feasibility and competitiveness; they shall evolve step-by-step.
• Appropriate and harmonised measures to aid SMEs in the transition are key.
• A level playing field through effective market surveillance should be ensured.

Ecodesign: requirements for sustainable products (ESPR)

Position paper on textile labelling

European parliament progress on ecodesign & concerns

CEN/TC 248/WG39

Secretariat: NEN 
Convenor: Edwin Maes - Centexbel

Within CEN, we try to look ahead and develop standards in line with policy and upcoming legislation.

This is done in the CEN/TC 248/WG 39 - Circular Economy for textile products and textile chain workgroup.

• (WI=00248762) Textiles - Circular economy for textile products - General principles and guidance
• (WI=00248761) Textiles - Circular economy for textile products - Categorisation of and requirements on non-virgin input materials
• (WI=00248763) Textiles - Circular economy for textile products - Design for circularity
• (WI=00248776) Textiles - Circular economy for textile products - Minimum requirements for clothing

You can follow all these standardisation activities via the Belgian mirror committee Circular Economy & Sustainability for textile & plastics products.