Brussels, 4 September – A brand new paper by Zero Waste Europe is demanding a concerted effort by governments to convey the style textile sector again in concord with planetary boundaries, outlining an inventory of entry factors for the transition in direction of sufficiency.
The paper, entitled “A Zero Waste Imaginative and prescient for Style” examines the constructing blocks for a sustainable transition within the quick vogue business. Central interventions are a ban on the destruction of unsold items, targets on waste prevention and useful resource use in addition to monetary incentives for producers.
The worldwide shift from a linear economic system to a round one has lengthy been touted as the reply to fight the overconsumption of treasured pure assets. Nonetheless, addressing this problem additionally requires an general discount of fabric use. Policymakers should recognise main polluters’ market affect and transfer past blaming shopper selections.
Theresa Mörsen, writer of the report and Waste & Assets Coverage Officer at Zero Waste Europe, mentioned, “We can not depend on so-called shopper behaviour ‘nudges’ to chop down on vogue consumption. The reason for our present waste disaster lies with the quick vogue enterprise mannequin that depends on promoting giant volumes of classy objects. We should have a sturdy regulatory framework that enables shoppers to reside properly – and costume properly – inside planetary boundaries.”
The paper’s three pivotal interventions for policymakers are to implement authorized frameworks that work, drive change by way of monetary incentives, and unfold consciousness concerning the sufficiency wardrobe.
Extra exactly, the paper suggests setting a goal for textile waste discount of one-third by 2040 compared to 2020. It additionally calls on the EU to remodel its waste laws right into a ‘Useful resource Framework Directive’ in keeping with a 1.5-degree goal, taking inspiration from the EU Member States which have already ventured forward to scale back their materials footprint.
A collection of initiatives could possibly be built-in to reshape industries, similar to Prolonged Producer Duty (EPR) packages that promote prevention, restore, and reuse in addition to imposing environmental taxes on virgin supplies, significantly virgin plastics. Lately, the speedy development within the quick vogue sector was fueled by low-cost artificial fibres from fossil assets and manufacturing in areas with lax labour and environmental requirements. Setting the worth proper is an important lever to deal with this.
Nonetheless, with out engendering a tradition of sufficiency through measures similar to limiting quick vogue commercials and making restore and reuse extra enticing for shoppers and companies, the transition can not succeed.
“Whereas the textile sector’s transformation is a important milestone,” Mörsen continued, “it’s vital to recognise that it’s solely a part of a broader financial shift towards sufficiency, well-being, and resilience.”
The paper urges governments to take proactive steps to undertake greatest practices and realign the textiles sector with the planet’s bodily limits.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
Press contacts
Sean Flynn, Media Outreach & Communications Officer at Zero Waste Europe, [email protected] or [email protected] / +32 471 96 55 93
Theresa Mörsen, Waste & Assets Coverage Officer at Zero Waste Europe, [email protected]
About Zero Waste Europe
Zero Waste Europe is a European community of communities, native leaders, specialists, and alter brokers working in direction of the elimination of waste in our society. Advocating for sustainable programs and the redesign of mankind’s relationship with assets, they speed up a simply transition in direction of zero waste for the good thing about folks and the planet. www.zerowasteeurope.eu
The paper, entitled “A Zero Waste Imaginative and prescient for Style” examines the constructing blocks for a sustainable transition within the quick vogue business. Central interventions are a ban on the destruction of unsold items, targets on waste prevention and useful resource use in addition to monetary incentives for producers.
The worldwide shift from a linear economic system to a round one has lengthy been touted as the reply to fight the overconsumption of treasured pure assets. Nonetheless, addressing this problem additionally requires an general discount of fabric use. Policymakers should recognise main polluters’ market affect and transfer past blaming shopper selections.
Theresa Mörsen, writer of the report and Waste & Assets Coverage Officer at Zero Waste Europe, mentioned, “We can not depend on so-called shopper behaviour ‘nudges’ to chop down on vogue consumption. The reason for our present waste disaster lies with the quick vogue enterprise mannequin that depends on promoting giant volumes of classy objects. We should have a sturdy regulatory framework that enables shoppers to reside properly – and costume properly – inside planetary boundaries.”
The paper’s three pivotal interventions for policymakers are to implement authorized frameworks that work, drive change by way of monetary incentives, and unfold consciousness concerning the sufficiency wardrobe.
Extra exactly, the paper suggests setting a goal for textile waste discount of one-third by 2040 compared to 2020. It additionally calls on the EU to remodel its waste laws right into a ‘Useful resource Framework Directive’ in keeping with a 1.5-degree goal, taking inspiration from the EU Member States which have already ventured forward to scale back their materials footprint.
A collection of initiatives could possibly be built-in to reshape industries, similar to Prolonged Producer Duty (EPR) packages that promote prevention, restore, and reuse in addition to imposing environmental taxes on virgin supplies, significantly virgin plastics. Lately, the speedy development within the quick vogue sector was fueled by low-cost artificial fibres from fossil assets and manufacturing in areas with lax labour and environmental requirements. Setting the worth proper is an important lever to deal with this.
Nonetheless, with out engendering a tradition of sufficiency through measures similar to limiting quick vogue commercials and making restore and reuse extra enticing for shoppers and companies, the transition can not succeed.
“Whereas the textile sector’s transformation is a important milestone,” Mörsen continued, “it’s vital to recognise that it’s solely a part of a broader financial shift towards sufficiency, well-being, and resilience.”
The paper urges governments to take proactive steps to undertake greatest practices and realign the textiles sector with the planet’s bodily limits.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
- Hyperlink to the paper:
- This paper serves because the inaugural chapter in a two-part collection exploring vogue and textiles alongside the complete worth chain. The primary chapter emphasises the necessity to curtail manufacturing and consumption, whereas the next instalment will delve into circularity, overlaying optimum design, use, reuse, recycling, and end-of-life therapy of clothes.
Press contacts
Sean Flynn, Media Outreach & Communications Officer at Zero Waste Europe, [email protected] or [email protected] / +32 471 96 55 93
Theresa Mörsen, Waste & Assets Coverage Officer at Zero Waste Europe, [email protected]
About Zero Waste Europe
Zero Waste Europe is a European community of communities, native leaders, specialists, and alter brokers working in direction of the elimination of waste in our society. Advocating for sustainable programs and the redesign of mankind’s relationship with assets, they speed up a simply transition in direction of zero waste for the good thing about folks and the planet. www.zerowasteeurope.eu