Final green light for textile waste rules in the EU
The European Parliament has given a “final green light” to new measures to prevent and reduce waste from textiles across the European Union.
On September 9, the parliament formally adopted the new rules. They will now become law. The European Council, which represents the governments of the 27 member states, had previously given its approval.
The European Council and the parliament, who are co-legislators in the European Union, will now formally sign the rules into law; the new legislation will then be published in the EU’s Official Journal.
After that, member states will have 20 months to “transpose the rules” into their national legislative frameworks.
Under the rules, producers that make textiles available in the EU will have to cover the cost of their collection, sorting and recycling at end of life, through new producer responsibility (EPR) schemes.
Each of the EU states will have set up its own EPR scheme within 30 months of the directive’s entry into force. These provisions will apply to all producers, including those using e-commerce tools, even if they are established outside the EU. Small companies will have an extra year to comply with EPR requirements.
The new rules will cover products clothing, footwear, accessories, hats and other products.
Member states must also address “ultra-fast fashion and fast fashion practices” when deciding on financial contributions to the EPR schemes.
