The Netherlands and ten other EU countries want to make the textile industry dramatically more sustainable. They have now submitted joint proposals on this to the European Commission.
The eleven EU countries point out that the textile industry causes more CO2 air pollution than both sea and air transport combined. This is stated in the joint paper submitted 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 sector more sustainable.
In their letter to European Commissioners Breton (Internal Market), Sinkevičius (Environment), and Timmermans (Climate), the eleven EU countries advocate for clear and ambitious targets regarding collection, reuse, and recycling of textiles.
For example, every garment should contain a mandatory percentage of reusable material to make recycling more feasible. The countries also request the phasing out of very concerning substances, such as PFAS in rainwear.
Additionally, the member states want to explore how to encourage longer use of clothing. This includes measures to prevent the destruction of unsold clothing, which clothing stores are sometimes forced to do at present.
Finally, the countries call for better transparency and consumer information. A concrete measure is a mandatory label on every garment, allowing buyers to immediately see what the shirt is made of and under what working conditions it was produced.
State Secretary Van Weyenberg said that the Netherlands has announced an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for textile manufacturers. From 2023, producers will be responsible for the collection, recycling, reuse, and waste phase of their products. “That is something we need to work towards throughout Europe,” he said.
“Less 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 believe it is important that Europe develops an ambitious sustainability strategy so that sustainable textiles become standard.”