The Netherlands and ten other EU countries want to make the textile industry radically more sustainable. They have now submitted joint proposals to the European Commission.
The eleven EU countries point out that the textile industry causes more CO2 air pollution than maritime and aviation combined. This is stated in the joint paper presented in Brussels on Tuesday.
The ten other countries are Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, Luxembourg, Norway, Austria, Spain and Sweden. In June, the Netherlands invited the other countries to exchange ideas about making the textile industry more sustainable.
In their letter to the European Commissioners Breton (Internal Market), Sinkevičius (Environment) and Timmermans (Climate), the eleven EU countries argue for clear and ambitious goals in the field of collection, reuse and recycling of textiles.
For example, every piece of clothing should contain a mandatory percentage of reusable material, so that recycling becomes easier. The countries also ask that substances of very high concern, such as PFAS in rainwear, be phased out.
In addition, the Member States want to investigate how it is possible to encourage clothing to last longer. This also includes measures to prevent the destruction of unsold clothing, which clothing stores are now sometimes forced to do.
Finally, the countries are asking for better transparency and consumer information. A concrete measure is a mandatory label on every piece of clothing. On it, buyers can immediately see what the shirt is made of, and under which working conditions that happened.
State Secretary Van Weyenberg said that the Netherlands has announced an Extended Producer Responsibility (UPV) for textile manufacturers. From 2023, producers will be responsible for the collection, recycling, reuse and waste phase of their products. “We need to work towards that across Europe,” he said.
“Reducing CO2 emissions is one of the most important goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. We see that the textile industry can play an important role in this. I think it is important that Europe draws up an ambitious sustainability strategy, so that sustainable textiles become a habit.”