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Lawmakers in the European Union have reached a provisional agreement on new rules that will require a meaningful reduction in textile and food waste over the next five years.
Why it matters: Around 59 million tonnes of food waste are generated in the EU each year, representing an estimated direct economic loss of €132 billion. The bloc also generates 12.6 million tonnes of wasted textiles per year, with clothing and footwear accounting for 41% of that amount. The trend towards fast fashion has exacerbated the problem.
The latest: The new rules represent “a significant step towards a robust, circular, and competitive EU economy, while upholding the polluter-pays principle,” Poland’s minister for climate and the environment, Paulina Hennig-Kloska, said in a statement.
Under the frameworks, textile producers and fashion brands will be made responsible for their waste and will have to pay a fee to help fund waste collection and treatment. Companies that perform poorly in terms of circularity, sustainable design, and product durability will pay higher fees (France has already introduced legislation to this effect).
To smooth the way forward, all companies in the sector, including smaller ones, will be given access to waste textile treatment facilities, the European Council says.
Meanwhile, food manufacturers will need to reduce waste by 10% by 2030, while shops, restaurants and households will need to slash food waste by 30% on a per capita basis. Retailers and restaurants will be prompted to voluntary donate unsold food that’s still safe for human consumption.
Mixed reaction: While many groups have welcomed the provisional agreement, some say it’s not nearly ambitious enough.
“The EU and its member states committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals 10 years ago, including a 50% reduction of food waste across the entire supply chain… Yet, now that it’s time to introduce binding targets, our leaders shy away from decisive action, ignoring the huge impact food waste has on climate change,” says Theresa Mörsen, a waste and resources policy officer at Zero Waste Europe.
Among other issues, the law doesn’t seek to address food losses on farms, which are major contributors to the problem, Mörsen says. And the rules for the textiles sector lack “concrete targets”.
“We were hoping that member states would take inspiration from existing schemes in France and the Netherlands and underpin extended producer responsibility with concrete targets to achieve circularity.”
What’s next: The provisional agreement will now have to be endorsed by the European Council and Parliament before undergoing legal linguistic revision. Once formally adopted, EU member states will have up to 20 months to update their national laws to follow the new rules.
