PLANS TO ADDRESS CLOTHES WASTE TO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT

Measures to address better recycling and production of clothes have been addressed by the European Parliament. 

Fast fashion, which is the constant production of new styles at very low prices has led to a big increase in the quantity of clothes produced and thrown away. The European Commission has launched a roadmap for the future of sustainable textiles in the EU in order to help the environment in the long-term. This includes plans to ensure that clothes are designed to be more durable, reusable, repairable, recyclable and energy-efficient. It aims to ensure that the textile industry recovers from the COVID-19 crisis in a sustainable way. 

Clothing is just one aspect that the Parliament is looking at when it comes to making products more sustainable. The Parliament has urged the Commission to set product-specific standards, so that products placed on the EU market perform well, are durable, reusable, can be easily repaired, are not toxic, can be upgraded and recycled, contain recycled content, and are resource and energy-efficient. 

Up to 80% of the environmental impact of products is determined at the design phase. The global consumption of materials is expected to double in the next forty years, while the amount of waste generated every year is projected to increase by 70% by 2050. Half of total greenhouse gas emissions, and more than 90% of biodiversity loss and water stress, come from extracting and processing resources.

MEPs also emphasised that achieving the Green Deal objectives will only be possible if the EU switches to a circular economy model, and that this change will create new jobs and business opportunities. 

Ireland South MEP Deirdre Clune said: “Achieving a more circular use of products and materials, keeping them in use for as long as possible by extracting the maximum value from them while in use, and recycling them at the end of their lives helps reduce waste generation and the demand for resources and the associated environmental pressures. Fast fashion has led to a big increase in the quantity of clothes produced and thrown away. Moving to a circular economy is key for achieving EU climate action, nature protection and sustainability ambitions, and also delivering benefits for innovation, growth and jobs.”

It is estimated that the global textile and clothing industry used 79 billion cubic metres of water in 2015, while the needs of the EU’s whole economy amounted to 266 billion cubic metres in 2017. To make a single cotton t-shirt, 2,700 litres of fresh water are required according to estimates, enough to meet one person’s drinking needs for 2.5 years.

Textile production is estimated to be responsible for about 20% of global clean water pollution from dyeing and finishing products. Washing synthetics releases an estimated 0.5 million tonnes of microfibers into the ocean a year.

It is estimated that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions – more than international flights and maritime shipping combined. According to the European Environment Agency, textile purchases in the EU in 2017 generated about 654 kg of CO2 emissions per person.

The new Commission strategy aims to address fast fashion and provide guidelines to achieve high levels of separate collection of textile waste.