Environmental Civil Society Organisations Recommendations for the EU Strategy for Sustainable Textiles

The document outlines a comprehensive set of recommendations to transform the EU textile sector from a linear to a circular and resource-sufficient model. It advocates for mandatory ecodesign requirements to ensure durability and non-toxicity, a ban on the destruction of unsold goods, and the implementation of a digital product passport for transparency. The authors call for the phase-out of fossil-fuel derived synthetic fibres, the introduction of taxes on virgin resources, and the establishment of an EU-wide Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme. Furthermore, it emphasizes the need for binding due diligence legislation to address human rights and environmental abuses in global supply chains and suggests stricter regulations on the export of textile waste to non-EU countries.

• The textile industry's current model is characterized by extreme resource intensity; EU consumption of clothing, footwear, and household textiles uses 675 million tonnes of raw materials annually, with 73% of all textiles ending up in landfill or incineration.
• The authors argue that the overarching goal of the EU Textile Strategy must be an absolute reduction in the production of textiles, rather than relying on 'green growth' or incremental changes to the business model.
• Mandatory Ecodesign minimum requirements should be implemented to deny EU market access to unsustainable, toxic, or polluting products, focusing on increasing life expectancy, repairability, and the use of non-toxic alternatives.
• The document highlights a critical reliance on fossil-fuel derived synthetic fibres, noting that polyester overtook cotton as the dominant fibre in 2000 and now represents over two-thirds (69%) of total global fibre production.
• Synthetic textiles are identified as a major source of microplastic pollution, potentially contributing up to one-third of all microplastics entering the ocean annually, with significant impacts on both wildlife and human health.
• A digital product passport is recommended to ensure mandatory disclosure of environmental and social data, including chemical bills of materials, CO2 emissions, and due diligence information for Tier 1, 2, and 3 production.
• The report calls for an EU-wide ban on the destruction of unsold and returned textile products, citing examples of brands like Burberry and H&M destroying stock to preserve reputation or manage excess.
• To shift away from the linear economy, the authors propose taxing virgin resource use, specifically starting with a tax on virgin synthetic fibres, and implementing an eco-modulated Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme.
• The document argues that voluntary self-regulation has failed and calls for binding EU Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HREDD) legislation that makes companies liable for harm caused across their entire global value chain.
• The authors recommend regulating the export of used clothing to prevent the shipment of low-quality synthetic waste to non-EU countries, where it often ends up in landfills.

APA

Changing Markets Foundation (2021). Environmental Civil Society Organisations Recommendations for the EU Strategy for Sustainable Textiles. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Recommendations-EU-Strategy-Sustainable-Textiles.pdf

Chicago

Changing Markets Foundation. Environmental Civil Society Organisations Recommendations for the EU Strategy for Sustainable Textiles. 2021. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Recommendations-EU-Strategy-Sustainable-Textiles.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Changing Markets Foundation |title=Environmental Civil Society Organisations Recommendations for the EU Strategy for Sustainable Textiles |date=June 2021 |url=https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Recommendations-EU-Strategy-Sustainable-Textiles.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{changingmarketsfoundation2021environmental, author = {{Changing Markets Foundation}}, title = {{Environmental Civil Society Organisations Recommendations for the EU Strategy for Sustainable Textiles}}, institution = {Changing Markets Foundation}, year = {2021}, month = jun, url = {https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Recommendations-EU-Strategy-Sustainable-Textiles.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }