EU Enforces Textile Disposal Rules to Combat Fast Fashion's Environmental Toll
The new directive, effective January 1, 2025, mandates separate disposal of textiles as the EU tackles record-high consumption and waste driven by Fast Fashion.
- The European Union's per capita textile consumption reached a record 19 kilograms in 2022, fueled by the continued popularity of Fast Fashion.
- Textile waste in the EU totaled 6.94 million tons in 2022, with 85% of household textile waste not recycled and ending up in mixed waste streams.
- The EU's new directive, implemented on January 1, 2025, requires textiles to be disposed of separately to improve recycling rates and reduce environmental harm.
- The European Environment Agency (EEA) highlights significant environmental impacts of high textile consumption, including resource depletion, emissions, and microplastics pollution.
- The EEA advocates for a systemic transition to a circular economy, emphasizing innovations in textile production, reuse, and recycling to enhance sustainability and competitiveness.
Die Tageszeitung 
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung 
Sächsische Zeitung 