Today, the revised rules under the Waste Framework Directive enter into force. This is a significant step forward in addressing textile and food waste. In addition, the revised Directive will promote a circular economy throughout the EU, notably by fostering innovation and moving towards more sustainable industrial and consumer practices.

Regarding the sustainable management of textile waste, the revised Directive introduces two main sets of measures to tackle the significant environmental impacts of the EU's textile and clothing sector. All Member States will be required to establish their own Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for textiles and footwear, whereby EPR fees will be collected and used to finance the collection, re-use, re-cycle and disposal of textiles. Furthermore, all separately collected textiles will now be considered as waste. This will ensure a uniform interpretation across Member States of what constitutes ‘waste' versus ‘used' textiles, and Member States will have to ensure separately collected textiles undergo sorting operations prior to their possible shipment.

Fighting food waste is also a key aim of the Directive. By 2030, Member States must reduce food waste by 10% in processing and manufacturing, and by 30% per capita at retail and consumption, which includes restaurants, food services, and households. To meet these targets, Member States will need to evaluate and adapt their food waste prevention programmes. To monitor progress, the European Commission will conduct a comprehensive review by 2027.

Textile production and consumption also have significant environmental impacts, and about 12.6 million tonnes of textile waste was generated in 2019, of which only one-fifth was separately collected for reuse or recycling. Similarly, data reported since 2020 and up to 2023 has shown significant levels of food waste and no clear downward trend so far. The revised Directive represents a crucial opportunity to address these pressing issues.

You can find more information on the revised waste rules online.