This study examined which type of ecodesign criteria for textile products would have the greatest impact. The results will hopefully serve as input for the EU textile strategy. In addition, it was requested to formulate clear ecodesign requirements to be able to expand the Ecodesign Directive with a textile category in addition to that of electronics.
Extending the life of textile products turned out to have the greatest impact in the short term compared to closing the cycle and sustainable production. Within lifespan extension, quality appeared to be the most important factor versus repairability and maintenance. That is why a clear set of quality requirement and associated tests has been drawn up for the textile product category.
This was done on the basis of existing labels and Centexbel's experience. These quality requirements can serve as the required minimum quality for textile products in Europe so that low-quality textiles can be used. In addition, ecodesign themes 'closing the loop' and 'responsible production' were also devised. Finally, the possible impact of legislative procedure was also discussed.
This study was conducted within the scope of the Cmartlife project, action ‘A3 – Ecodesign Criteria for Consumer Textiles’. The Cmartlife project has received funding from the LIFE Programme of the European Union.