The ESPR is set to reshape apparel production and sourcing, introducing mandatory minimum ecodesign requirements alongside a Digital Product Passport (DPP) designed to improve transparency across global textile supply chains.
The regulation forms part of the European Commission's wider push to reduce the environmental impact of products placed on the EU market. Apparel is one of the priority sectors, reflecting its significant contribution to waste, water use, emissions and chemical pollution.
ECOS is an international NGO that works on technical standards and environmental policy and has been actively engaged in shaping the ESPR textile proposals.
Speaking during a webinar hosted by ECOS, programme manager Luca Boniolo and senior programme manager Emily Best outlined how ESPR is expected to evolve, while warning that current proposals remain heavily weighted towards consumer information rather than binding production requirements.
While the European Commission has outlined a roadmap extending towards 2030, ECOS stressed that key decisions are still in development and subject to consultation.
Boniolo pointed to the Joint Research Centre (JRC) analysis indicating textiles rank among the highest-impact product groups under consideration.
He also highlighted the scale of chemical use and pollution in textile production, noting that "synthetic textiles are estimated to contribute between two and 13 million tonnes annually to the environmental deposition," driven by shedding across all life cycles including manufacturing, washing and wear and tear.
A key theme running through ECOS' position is that ecodesign alone cannot address overproduction and fast fashion business models.
Boniolo said product efficiency gains risk being offset by rising production volumes. "Eco design is necessary, but it still needs to be complemented with other policies that would address fast fashion and the unsustainable business models of the textile sector," he said.
He noted that wider policy action is needed alongside consumer awareness campaigns to extend product lifespans.
Alongside ecodesign requirements, the ESPR will introduce a DPP for garments, which will store product-specific information accessible via a data carrier such as a QR code or RFID tag. Information may include product performance, recycled content, repair instructions, environmental impacts and compliance data.
Best described it as a system designed to improve transparency across the value chain, including second-hand operators, recyclers and regulators.
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