On Tuesday night, negotiators from the European Parliament and the Council reached a provisional agreement on a set of ambitious new measures aimed at tackling the growing issue of textile and food waste in the European Union. The new rules, set to be fully implemented by 2030, outline binding targets for reducing food waste and require producers to take responsibility for the collection, sorting, and recycling of textile waste.
The deal includes a historic commitment to binding food waste reduction targets, which will be implemented at the national level by 31 December 2030. These targets call for a 10% reduction in food waste within food processing and manufacturing sectors and a 30% reduction in food waste per capita in retail, restaurants, food services, and households. These goals will be based on an average amount of food waste generated annually between 2021 and 2023.
As part of the agreement, EU countries will be required to take measures that support the donation of unsold food, safe for human consumption, to charities and food banks. Each member state will identify economic operators—such as major retailers and food suppliers—that play a significant role in food waste prevention and will ensure they facilitate these donations.
The new textile waste rules will place the responsibility for waste management squarely on the shoulders of producers. EU member states will be required to establish Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes, which will require all textile producers—both those operating within the EU and those outside its borders—to cover the costs associated with collecting, sorting, and recycling waste textiles. These provisions will come into force 30 months after the directive’s entry into force, with micro-enterprises granted an additional 12 months to comply.
The scope of the new rules covers a wide range of textile products, including clothing, accessories, footwear, bedding, and curtains. At the initiative of the European Parliament, the new EPR schemes may also be extended to producers of mattresses. Furthermore, the agreement includes measures to address the environmental impact of ultra-fast and fast fashion, ensuring that financial contributions to EPR schemes take these practices into account.
Anna Zalewska, rapporteur for the European Parliament on the issue, expressed satisfaction with the final deal, saying: “During the final negotiations, Parliament succeeded in securing provisions to further reduce food and textile waste as part of municipal waste. We ensured that food waste reduction policies are feasible for member states, while also protecting the agricultural sector. The legal framework now in place will ensure that textile producers contribute effectively to the separate collection of the textiles they produce.”
Following the provisional agreement, the Council is now expected to formally adopt its position, with the European Parliament set to give its final approval in a second reading. This marks an important step in the EU’s broader efforts to curb waste and promote sustainability across industries.
Each year, the EU generates an astonishing 60 million tonnes of food waste—equivalent to 132 kilograms per person—and 12.6 million tonnes of textile waste. Clothing and footwear alone account for 5.2 million tonnes of waste annually. Despite these staggering figures, less than 1% of textiles globally are recycled into new products, highlighting the pressing need for systemic change in both the food and textile industries.
The new rules are part of the European Commission’s wider push to revise EU waste regulations, originally proposed in July 2023, and are expected to play a crucial role in helping the bloc achieve its sustainability goals.
