The EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles aims to ensure by 2030 textile products sold in the EU market are sustainable , recyclable, made with recycled fibers and produced in compliance with social rights and the environment. Adam Mansell, CEO, UKFT says, EU textiles sustainability strategy aims to tackle issues such as destruction of unsold products and over reliance on shipping of used textiles to Africa. The federation is lobbying with the government to ensure it develops the technology and infrastructure to capture the value in discarded clothing, he adds.

The EU Commission believes, the strategy will benefit consumers by providing high quality textiles. They will also have access to re-use and repair services. Specific measures include: ecodesign requirements for textiles, clearer information, a Digital Product Passport and a mandatory EU extended producer responsibility scheme. It will also introduce new measures to tackle the unintentional release of microplastics from textiles, ensure the accuracy of green claims, and boost circular business models, including reuse and repair services.

The Strategy also aims to support and accompany the textiles ecosystem throughout its transformative journey. To achieve this, it has launched a collaborative tool called transition pathway for the textiles ecosystem. The tool will help the ecosystem to recover from negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic that have been affecting companies in their daily operations for the last two years. It will also strengthen their capacities to withstand both a fierce global competition and future shocks for their long-term survival.