EU wants all textile waste rules in place by 2028 - commissioner

Copenhagen (Reuters) - The European Commission aims for the implementation of regulations mandating fashion companies to adopt sustainable practices in clothing production by 2028, according to the EU environment commissioner's statements on Tuesday.

The Commission aims to address the usage of textiles in Europe, which ranks as the fourth most significant contributor to environmental harm and climate change, following food, housing, and transportation.

The leading fast fashion companies in Europe, Inditex and H&M, are continuing their production at full speed while aiming to reduce their water and energy consumption and increase the use of recycled fabrics.

Virginijus Sinkevičius expressed in an interview at the Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen that the fashion industry has somewhat evaded control but it is evident that they exert immense strain on our natural resources and contribute significantly to pollution. It is imperative for us to take action in response to these pressing concerns.

The Commission is currently working on creating a minimum of 16 laws that will hold fashion companies accountable for the ecological effects caused by their clothing manufacturing.

A test for the rapidly evolving fashion industry

Sinkevičius stated that the upcoming actions, spread over a period of 5 years, will pose a "difficulty" for fast fashion companies.

The Commission will mandate fashion companies to either gather a quantity of discarded fabric that corresponds to a specific proportion of their output, or make a payment to support the waste collection initiatives of local authorities.

The quantity will slowly rise after a couple of years.

The Commission is currently in the process of determining an initial proportion that fashion companies will need to gather.

"It will certainly exceed 5% of production," Sinkevičius remarked.

The objective of the European Union is that, by 2030, fashion corporations will manufacture garments that are long-lasting and can be reused and recycled with greater ease.

Approximately 5.8 million metric tons of textile items are thrown away annually within the European Union (EU), which equals around 11 kilograms (24 pounds) per individual. As per statistics provided by the EU, a truck filled with textile products is either disposed of in landfills or burned every second worldwide.

The Commission is currently in the process of developing rules to limit the way brands can promote clothing using sustainable claims. It has found that approximately 50% of these claims, commonly known as "eco-labels," are deceptive.

The commissioner mentioned that the regulation pertaining to eco-labels on textiles will be implemented in the early part of the upcoming year.

Last month, European Union (EU) administrations reached a consensus that it was essential to prohibit the disposal of unsold textiles as a means to promote the EU's environmentally friendly approach, which emphasizes increased reutilization and recycling.

Sinkevičius mentioned that it would require a minimum of "half a year or possibly longer" for the prohibition to be put into effect.

Article provided by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen, authored by Corina Pons and Helen Reid; modified by Matt Scuffham.