EU solutions to tackle textile waste
In September 2025, the European Parliament approved new rules under which EU countries should set up schemes that would make sure producers of clothing, accessories, hats, footwear, blankets, linens, curtains, and optionally mattresses, cover the costs for collecting, sorting, and recycling their products.
These extended producer responsibility schemes should also cover products sold online or by producers registered outside the EU. Micro-enterprises get an extra year to comply with the requirements.
These rules amend the existing Waste Framework Directive. Under this text, EU countries are required since January 2025 to collect textiles separately for re-use and recycling.