EU Proposes New Rules to Control Undesirable Behaviour in Apparel

According to a new rule proposed by the European Union, apparel, furniture, and smartphones should be long-lasting and easy to repair. The rules target products at each stage, such as design, repair and recycling. The aim is to bring sustainability to the textiles industry in particular. It is also communicated that if there are any shortcomings from companies, they will face the consequences.

The companies manufacturing clothes should ensure their products are eco-friendly and lasting. Consumers will have access to more information on how they reuse, repair and recycle their clothes.

According to Iona Popescu of environmental NGO, the Environmental Coalition on Standards, the rules proposed help bring long-lasting products that can be worn multiple times rather than used a few times and thrown away.

she added, "The Commission seeks to put a halt on fast fashion by introducing rules on textiles to be used in the European market."

Apparel usage in Europe, on average, stands at the fourth-highest impact on the environment and climate. Every person requires nine cubic metres of water, 391 kg of raw material, and 400 square metres of land in the EU.

Politicians across the UK have called on the government to tweak the law to ensure compliance with environmental standards. Contrary to that, the government, in 2019, rejected most of the environmental Audit Committee's recommendations but has given importance to textile waste.

Tamara Cincik of the think tank for the fashion industry, Fashion Roundtable, said: "the textiles strategy could set the tone for future legislation outside the EU. If expectations of brands in the UK compared to the EU diverge, this will hopefully encourage stronger expectations of future UK legislation. This is why it is so important for UK brands and the government to be alert to this strategy, as the EU remains our largest, and indeed, closest trading partner for the textiles and fashion industry."