ECOS | Environmental Coalition on Standards

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Circular economy & sustainable products

Textiles

The textile sector is linear, short-term focused, and heavily reliant on fossil fuels. Textile production causes air, water, and soil pollution and is a significant driver of climate change, biodiversity loss, and damage to ecosystems and human health. In recent decades the global production of clothing has increased significantly and is still growing, accelerated by a trend of ‘buy-use-throw away’ – increasing waste and the volume of unsold textiles, which are often destroyed. This exacerbates the sector’s negative impacts on both people and the planet, which disproportionally affects vulnerable stakeholders. Our vision is to limit the negative impacts of textile products on the environment and bring the textile sector back within planetary boundaries.

What we are working on

ECOS works to ensure that relevant EU and international policies and standards support:

  • Sufficiency – the textile sector must reduce the absolute use of resources and its material and consumption footprint.
  • Circular design – textiles must be more durable, reusable, repairable, non-toxic, and produced with zero pollution targets.
  • Sustainable value chains – reduce the global negative environmental impacts of sourcing and unsold textiles, and produce new textile products by preventing and limiting air, water, and soil pollution as well as waste generation.
Who we work with

Alliances and campaigns

Related news

  • WATCH: Eco-fashion? New EU ecodesign rules for apparel

    The EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) will require mandatory minimum ecodesign requirements for apparel and a Digital Product Passport for all garments. Watch the webinar recording as we assess the timeline and progress of this delegated act and discuss opportunities to get involved. 

  • Vacancy: Programme Officer – Product Policies

    We are looking for a highly motivated Programme Officer to join our Circular Economy & Nature team as soon as possible. The successful candidate will work on standardisation, policy developments, and project management related to ecodesign and energy labelling, in the framework of the EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), with a focus on textiles, apparel, and footwear.

  • Used textiles and textile waste: Lessons and insights from Kenya

    To better understand the trade in used textiles and textile waste, we are engaging with and learning from key partners in Kenya. Their valuable insight can help develop effective end-of-waste criteria in the EU and address the negative impacts of importing used textiles and textile waste.

Contact person
Luca Boniolo
Programme Manager luca.boniolo@ecostandard.org

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.

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