MEPs attack fast fashion by tackling textile waste

While the French government tries to rein in fast fashion players, Members of the EU Parliament (MEPs) are pursuing their own agenda and tackling the issue of textile waste.

On March 13, the European Parliament voted on a bill designed to force the fashion industry to bear the costs of collecting, sorting and recycling used and unwanted fabrics, garments and shoes. In the EU alone, 12.6 million tons of textile waste are produced every year. It is said that only 1% of textiles that have reached the end of their useful life are recycled worldwide.

The bill does not just concern textile waste, it also concerns food waste, but fast fashion is firmly in the sights of EU lawmakers, given the huge volume of textiles and clothing that fashion brands are bringing to the EU. The bill, which passed Wednesday by a vote of 514 to 20, had previously been approved at the committee level. The new legislation will now be debated in the 27 EU member states.

The bill stipulates that anyone selling textiles and textile products in the EU will bear the costs of collecting, sorting and recycling their waste. This obligation will apply 18 months after the directive has been implemented, instead of 30 months later as proposed by the EU Commission. The new rules apply to clothing and fashion accessories, blankets and bedding, curtains, hats, shoes, mattresses and rugs, as well as products containing leather and imitation fur, rubber and plastic.

“We also want to include non-domestic products, mattresses and carpets, and products sold through the electronic channel,” said Polish MEP Anna Zalewska, the EU Parliament's rapporteur on textiles. The bill will be implemented by the new Parliament, following the EU elections scheduled for June 6-9.

Attention now turns to what changes the bill could undergo in the coming months. Countries such as France (via ReFashion), Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden and Finland have already introduced laws that force those who sell textiles and clothing to pay for the collection of products at the end of their life cycle, through various solutions. It remains to be seen to what extent future EU legislation will take these different national measures into account.