Clothes must also be made more durable and easier to repair.
Clothing companies operating in the European Union will no longer be allowed to dispose of unsold clothing and footwear by, for example, burning.
On Tuesday, the Parliament of the European Union and the EU member states reached an agreement on new rules for reducing textile waste.
The European Commission already proposed last year that the EU should ban the burning of unsold clothes. The EU wants to reduce the textile waste generated by fast fashion companies in particular.
The EU regulation will enter into force in the next few years. Medium-sized companies get a six-year transition period. The order does not apply to small businesses, which means they are still allowed to burn their unsold clothes.
In addition, the EU imposes stricter durability rules for clothing. The EU wants clothes sold in its territory to last longer and for clothes to be easier to repair and recycle.
According to the EU textile regulation, a “digital product passport” must be created for the clothes sold in the future.
– Clothes produced in a sustainable way will become the norm, which will help consumers save energy, repair [vaatteita] and to make environmentally smart choices in the store, said of the EU directive presented by the Member of Parliament Alessandra Moretti.
– Banning the destruction of unsold textiles and footwear also promotes a change in the way products are manufactured, he continued.
Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported last summer how well-known clothing manufacturers transport huge quantities of recyclable clothing to Africa for disposal.