The EU's textile and clothing sector is a significant economic force, but textile production and consumption also have significant environmental impacts.

The targeted revision of the Waste Framework Directive enters into force today (16 Oct), introducing common rules for extended producer responsibility (EPR) for textiles and setting binding food waste reduction targets for Member States.

It will help reduce waste, mitigate environmental damage, and enhance the EU’s economic security and resilience by driving innovation in sustainable practices and reducing dependency on raw materials, in line with the EU’s Competitiveness Compass and Strategic Agenda for 2024-29. \

Sustainable management of textile waste

The EU's textile and clothing sector is a significant economic force, generating a turnover of €170 billion in 2023 and employing 1.3 million people across 197,000 companies.  

However, textile production and consumption also have significant environmental impacts. In 2020, in the EU, the textile sector was the consumption area with the third highest impact on water and land use, and the fifth highest in terms of raw material use and greenhouse gas emissions.

Moreover, textile waste is a pressing issue, with about 12.6 million tonnes generated in 2019, of which only one-fifth was separately collected for reuse or recycling.  

The revised Waste Framework Directive introduces two main sets of measures to tackle these impacts, while boosting the competitiveness and circularity of the sector: 

• Mandatory EPR schemes for textile and footwear products: All Member States are required to establish their own EPR scheme for textiles and footwear, following common rules applicable across the EU. Under such schemes, textile and footwear producers will pay a fee for each product they place on the market. This fee will finance collection schemes and the management of the collected textiles, providing for their re-use, preparing for re-use, recycling and disposal.

  EPR fees will be adjusted based on sustainability criteria, such as the ones developed under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), considering factors such as durability and recyclability. This approach, known as eco-modulation, links the cost producers pay for EPR to the sustainability of their textiles, thus encouraging them to design more circular and environmentally-friendly products.

  The EPR fees will also be used to inform consumers on sustainable textiles and footwear, and support research and development to improve product design, waste prevention and management operations. 

• New rules for the management of used textiles and textile waste: All separately collected textiles will be considered as waste, ensuring a uniform interpretation across Member States of what constitutes “waste” versus “used” textiles. This means Member States will have to ensure that separately collected textiles undergo sorting operations before their possible shipment, preventing waste from being falsely labelled and exported as reusable. If not sorted, textile waste will be subject to the Waste Shipment Regulation.  

Binding food waste reduction targets

The revised Waste Framework Directive introduces binding food waste reduction targets for Member States to achieve, marking a significant step towards reducing the environmental, social, and economic impacts of food waste in the EU.

Member States must reduce food waste by 10% in processing and manufacturing, and by 30% per capita at retail and consumption by 2030, which includes restaurants, food services, and households. 

To meet these targets, Member States will need to evaluate and adapt their food waste prevention programmes. This involves measures to support behavioural change interventions, raise awareness about food waste prevention, and promote innovation and technological solutions. Measures that address inefficiencies in the food supply chain and support cooperation amongst actors are also included.

Furthermore, the revised Directive introduces strengthened measures to facilitate food donation, requiring relevant food businesses to propose donation agreements to food banks and other food redistribution organisations.  

To monitor progress, the Commission will conduct a comprehensive review by 2027. This will include a study to better understand the root causes of food loss and food waste in primary production.

The review will also consider the possibility of modifying the 2030 targets and setting new targets beyond 2030, potentially extending to 2035.

The revised Directive requires the Commission to adopt implementing rules to account for variations in tourism flows in food waste reduction achieved by Member States. 

Next steps

Member States will have 20 months to transpose the revised Directive into national laws and 30 months to establish EPR schemes for textile and footwear products.

They must designate the competent authorities responsible for coordinating the measures to prevent the generation of food waste by 17 January 2026 and adapt their food waste prevention programmes in line with the necessary measures by 17 October 2027. 

Background

In July 2023, the Commission proposed a targeted amendment of the Waste Framework Directive, with a focus on textile and food waste.  

The revised Directive delivers on the Commission’s commitment under the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles to bring about a more circular and sustainable management of textile waste.  

Under the new rules, social economy enterprises engaged in second-hand textile collection and management will be exempt from EPR obligations, allowed to operate their own collection systems, and have their textile waste managed at no cost by Producer Responsibility Organisations.

The revised Directive aims to further strengthen the EU’s contribution to Sustainable Development Goal target 12.3, in line with the EU's Circular Economy Action Plan. 

Data reported by Member States and published by ESTAT since 2020 and up to 2023 has shown significant levels of food waste and no clear downward trend so far. Therefore, the revised Directive represents a major step forward in addressing this issue and provides a crucial opportunity for the EU to get back on track towards achieving its goals.