Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) prescribe a set of social, economic, and/or environmental requirements that producers, traders, manufacturers, retailers, or service providers can voluntarily comply with to make their production and processing practices sustainable. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of VSS can help us to learn lessons. Read our new technical paper to find out more!
Sustainable sourcing of fibre and sustainable agriculture practices (starting with agroecology and organic) are integral to transforming the textile industry into a more environmentally and socially responsible sector. Read more in our new technical white paper: 'A look into fibre sourcing: Overview of natural and synthetic fibres'.
Today, the European Parliament sent a clear message that the fashion industry needs to transform its harmful practices and respect social rights and the environment.
In March 2022, the Commission unveiled the EU strategy for sustainable and circular textiles and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation. This is a technical paper produced by ECOS investigating and analising which standards and methodologies are used for assessing textile durability.
Rules in development to compare fashion products may give a limited picture of real environmental impact making them unfit to back up green claims, NGOs warn.
The environmental impacts of the textile sector are growing by the minute. Unless we slow down, our planet will become the ultimate fashion victim. On 30 March, the European Union is releasing a dedicated EU Strategy on Textiles, meant to allow a shift to a climate-neutral circular economy. This will require an integrated, multi-faceted approach: while policymakers make sustainable products the norm in the EU, the industry will need to shift its business models to operate within planetary boundaries.
ECOS together with other 11 organisations, call for setting an ambitious vision for a sustainable and circular EU textile sector which delivers on the EU’s zero pollution objectives and the bloc’s 2050 climate-neutrality target.
ECOS is co-funded by the European Commission and EFTA
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EISMEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
