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The EU finally plans to crack down on fast fashion

Acknowledging a link between fossil fuels and the inherently unsustainable industry, it’s proposing a range of new rules that’ll ensure products being made in and imported to the region are more environmentally friendly.

The world is drowning in clothes. Though recycling programmes have existed for decades now, with little means of recycling jeans or dresses, of the 100 billion garments bought annually, 92 million tonnes of them get thrown out. By just 2030, that figure is expected to increase by over forty million.

Not to mention the synthetic fibres used in 72% of our clothes that take 200 years to decompose nor the fact that the apparel industry accounts for 10% of global greenhouse gases every single year.

It’s an environmental disaster that’s been continually spurred on by the trend-driven fast fashion industry, despite how the number of people shopping consciously has soared recently, with Gen Z at the helm.

For this reason, and in light of numerous warnings from activists, organisations, and governing bodies alike, the EU finally plans to crack down on this issue with a range of new rules that’ll ensure products being made in and imported to the region are eco-friendlier.

Fast fashion is harming the planet, MPs say - BBC News

This follows the union’s recognition that the manufacturing processes currently propping up fast fashion’s inherently unsustainable business model are linked to an increase in the use of fossil fuels which, as we know, are to blame for the climate crisis.

‘It’s time to end the model of ‘take, make, break, and throw away’ that is so harmful to our planet, our health and our economy,’ says executive vice-president Frans Timmermans.

‘The consumption of textiles has the fourth-highest negative impact on the environment and climate change, and roughly 6.4 million tons of textiles are discarded in the EU each year.’

He explains that the proposed legislations are part of a wider push from the EU to cut its contribution to our ecological emergency by making a substantial amount of physical goods – from electronics and packaging to food and buildings – more planet-positive.

Impacts of Fast Fashion on the Environment | Earth.Org - Past | Present | Future

Under the ambitious scheme, revised standards would be set for how durable and reusable clothes need to be, a ban on the destruction of unsold and returned textiles would be introduced, and companies would be required to include information about just how sustainable their products are on their labels.

The centrepiece of the initiative, however, is an EU-wide Extended Producer Responsibility scheme which will make brands pay a waste fee for every item they sell.

‘Fast fashion should be out of fashion, and economically profitable re-use and repair services should be widely available, finishes Timmermans.

‘Today’s proposals will ensure that only the most sustainable products are sold in Europe. They allow consumers to save energy, repair and not replace broken products, and make smart environmental choices when they are shopping for new ones. This is how we bring balance back in our relationship with nature and reduce our vulnerability to disruptions in global supply chains.’

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