Faced with an increasingly severe textile waste problem, the EU is planning to use legislative means to mandate that the textile industry bear responsibility for waste management. According to industry forecasts, global textile waste will increase by 40% by 2035 compared with current levels, while the current textile recycling rate is less than 1%.

To change this situation, the EU is promoting an extended producer responsibility system, under which manufacturers pay for the waste disposal of their products. France and the Netherlands have already implemented similar systems, and the EU plans to extend this system to all member states by January 2028. However, international consulting firm BCG estimates that achieving a 15% textile recycling rate by 2035 will require an investment of 8 billion to 11 billion euros, and close collaboration between industry and recycling companies.

The main obstacle to scaling up recycling technologies is a lack of funding. The EU hopes to use EPR policy to provide financial support for recycling infrastructure while also incentivizing companies to design textiles that are easier to recycle. Organizations such as the European Recycling Platform can help brands fulfill their waste management obligations.

Experts point out that the fast fashion industry produces large quantities of cheap clothing, exacerbating environmental pollution. Made from fossil fuel feedstocks, such clothing, once discarded, is either landfilled or incinerated, wasting resources and worsening climate warming. The EU's new rules are expected to reverse this trend, but the effectiveness of implementation will depend on each country's specific enforcement and the development of supporting measures.

Source: Europe Proposes Regulations on Wasteful Textile Industry - Impakter · Originally published on 2026-08-25