Parliamentary question - E-004882/2020(ASW)Parliamentary question
E-004882/2020(ASW)
European Parliament

Answer given by Mr Sinkevičius on behalf of the European Commission

16.11.2020

Written question

Textile recycling capacity needs to improve quantitatively and qualitatively to manage the separately collected textiles. The Waste Framework Directive (WFD)[1] states that Member States shall set up separate collection for textiles by 1 January 2025[2]. The Commission will provide guidance to achieve high levels of separate collection of textile waste and it is conducting a study on the technical, regulatory, economic and environmental effectiveness of textile fibres recycling, with a view to identify promising areas for future research and innovation projects, as well as related challenges and existing regulatory barriers and to inform policy options.

The WFD also requires Member States to promote repair and re-use of (inter alia) textiles[3]. The Commission will establish a common methodology to report on such re-use and consider setting specific preparing for re-use and recycling targets for textile waste by the end of 2024.

The Circular Economy Action Plan[4] identified textiles as a priority value chain and announced an EU strategy on textiles. It stated that the Sustainable Products Initiative[5], currently under development, will be applied among other areas to textiles. Any such measures will apply equally to products on the EU market, whether produced inside or outside the EU.

Several studies have been conducted on the environmental impacts of textiles including by the European Environment Agency[6]. In addition, the Commission services are conducting a study to better understand the material flows in the textile value chain, review textile sorting and recycling technologies and map examples of circular textile business models.

Last updated: 16 November 2020
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