The EU is actively tackling the environmental and social impacts of the fashion industry, with several regulations and initiatives impacting fast fashion brands and microplastic shedding.
There are currently 27 countries that are part of the European Union (EU) as of today, February 23, 2024. Here’s the complete list:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
It’s important to remember that the EU is not the same as the European Economic Area (EEA), which includes the EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. These additional countries participate in the EU’s single market but are not full members of the union.
Here’s a summary of regulations and initiatives impacting fast fashion brands and microplastic shedding.
Regulations:
Sustainable Products Regulation (Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation): This regulation, currently in the final stages of adoption, will set eco-design requirements for various products, including textiles. It aims to make them more durable, reparable, recyclable, and free of hazardous substances. This will directly impact fast fashion brands as they will need to design and manufacture clothes that meet these stricter sustainability criteria.
Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive: This directive, currently under negotiation, will require companies to identify, prevent, and mitigate negative impacts on human rights and the environment in their own operations and throughout their value chains. This will force fast fashion brands to address labor abuses and environmental damage within their supply chains.
Textiles Strategy: This strategy, adopted in March 2023, calls for a circular and sustainable future for the textile industry. It proposes various measures, including:
Ban on destruction of unsold textiles: This directly impacts fast fashion’s practice of discarding unsold items, forcing them to find more sustainable solutions.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for textiles: This will make brands financially responsible for the collection and recycling of their products at the end of their life cycle.
Improved labeling and information: Consumers will get clearer information about the environmental and social impact of clothing, making it easier to avoid fast fashion brands.
Microplastics:
Microplastics Strategy: The EU has a strategy to address microplastic pollution, including a ban on certain microplastics in cosmetics and a call for restrictions on microplastics in other products. While not directly targeting fast fashion, this could impact synthetic textiles that shed microplastics during washing.
Textiles Strategy: The strategy also recognizes microplastics as a concern and calls for research and development of solutions to minimize their release.
Overall, the EU regulations are aiming to:
Reduce the environmental impact of the fast fashion industry, including microplastic pollution and improve the social and ethical conditions in textile production.
Make consumers more aware of the true cost of fast fashion and encourage them to make more sustainable choices.
It’s important to note that some of these regulations are still under development, and the exact impact on fast fashion brands is yet to be seen. However, it is clear that the EU is taking a strong stance against the unsustainable practices of the fast fashion industry, and brands will need to adapt to comply with the new rules.
