Textiles products have a growing impact on the environment. EU consumption of textiles has the fourth highest overall impact on the environment and climate change, after food, housing and mobility. Thereby, it is the third-largest contributor to water and land use consumption, and fifth highest for the use of primary raw materials and greenhouse gas emissions. 

The EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles addresses the production and consumption of textiles, recognising the importance of the textiles sector. It implements the commitments of the European Green Deal, the Circular Economy Action Plan and the European Industrial Strategy.

The strategy looks at the entire lifecycle of textile products and proposes and defines coordinated actions to change how we produce and consume textiles. The European Commission’s 2030 vision for textiles includes that all textile products placed on the EU market are durable, repairable and recyclable mostly made of recycled fibres, free of hazardous substances, and produced in respect of social rights and the environment.

This involves, among others, to set design requirements for textiles to make them last longer, easier to repair and recycle, as well as requirements on minimum recycled content, and to incentivise circular business models, including reuse and repair sectors.