The European Parliament has given its final approval to a package of measures designed to curb two of the EU’s most persistent waste streams—food and textiles. The new rules respond to growing pressure to reduce environmental impact, conserve resources, and promote more responsible production and consumption patterns.
Every year, EU households, businesses, and industries discard vast amounts of food and clothing. Nearly 60 million tonnes of food waste and 12.6 million tonnes of textile waste are generated annually, with clothing and footwear alone accounting for 5.2 million tonnes. Despite the scale of this challenge, less than 1% of textiles worldwide are recycled into new products. The new legislation seeks to close these gaps by setting clear targets and making producers accountable for the afterlife of their products.
Extended Producer Responsibility for textiles
Producers that place textiles on the EU market will be required to cover the costs of collection, sorting, and recycling. Member states must set up extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes within 30 months of the directive taking effect.
The rules apply to all producers, including those selling through e-commerce, whether based inside or outside the EU. Micro-enterprises will be given an extra year to comply. Products covered include clothing, footwear, hats, accessories, bed and kitchen linen, blankets, and curtains. Member states may also choose to include mattresses.
When setting financial contributions for EPR schemes, governments are expected to consider the impact of fast fashion and ultra-fast fashion practices.
Food waste reduction
By the end of 2030, EU countries must cut food waste by 10% in processing and manufacturing, and by 30% per person across retail, restaurants, food services, and households. These reductions will be measured against the annual average levels recorded between 2021 and 2023.
To make better use of surplus food, governments will also have to ensure that key players in the supply chain help donate safe, unsold food for human consumption. Each country will identify the economic operators most involved in food waste prevention and generation.
Next steps
The act was formally adopted after agreement with the Council earlier this summer. It will now be signed and published in the EU’s Official Journal. Member states will then have 20 months to transpose the directive into national law.
