Designing More Sustainable Products: 18 High-Potential Categories Identified by the EU Joint Research Centre

The European Union is advancing its sustainability agenda through the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), aiming to drive environmentally sustainable and circular products across almost all product categories in the EU market. Enacted in July 2024 as EU Regulation 2024/1781, the ESPR builds on the earlier Ecodesign Directive by extending mandatory environmental requirements beyond energy-related products to a broad spectrum of goods throughout their lifecycle.

JRC Study Identifies Priority Product Categories for Regulation

The Joint Research Centre (JRC), the European Commission’s science and knowledge service, conducted a detailed assessment of 33 product categories to identify those with the highest potential for environmental impact reduction and support for EU strategic autonomy. The findings, published on 22 November 2024, will underpin the first ESPR Working Plan expected in mid-2025. ### Eighteen Product Groups with High Potential

The JRC report highlights 18 product groups suitable for prioritization under ESPR:

• Final Products (11 categories):

  • Textiles and footwear
  • Furniture
  • Tyres
  • Bed mattresses
  • Detergents
  • Paints and varnishes
  • Lubricants
  • Cosmetics
  • Toys
  • Fishing gears
  • Absorbent hygiene products

• Intermediate Products (7 categories):

  • Iron and steel
  • Commodity chemicals
  • Non-ferrous, non-aluminium metal products
  • Aluminium
  • Plastics and polymers
  • Pulp and paper
  • Glass

Regulating these products aims to mitigate environmental degradation and bolster supply security amid growing EU consumption that currently exceeds planetary limits.

Defining Sustainability: Ten Environmental and Circularity Criteria

The JRC evaluated products using ten environmental impact categories including:

• Water, air, biodiversity, and soil effects
• Life-cycle energy consumption
• Waste generation and management
• Climate change contribution
• Human toxicity
• Material efficiency
• Lifetime extension potential

Products were ranked by impact severity and improvement feasibility, while also assessing economic importance, existing policy coverage, regulation costs, and ability to enhance EU strategic autonomy via supply chain resilience and circularity.

This ranking was cross-checked against the EU Consumption Footprint model and planetary boundaries framework to ensure alignment with overarching sustainability goals.

Horizontal Ecodesign Requirements: Leveraging Durability and Recyclability

Beyond specific products, the ESPR can impose "horizontal" rules across multiple categories with shared characteristics. The JRC identifies durable design, recyclability, and recycled content as prime horizontal requirements offering significant environmental gains.

Durability, especially when combined with repairability, shows the greatest promise in reducing environmental impact across diverse goods like textiles, footwear, mattresses, and toys—complementing similar initiatives in electronics and energy-related products.

Next Steps: Towards Implementation

The JRC’s final analysis incorporates public consultation feedback and lays a foundation for the European Commission’s upcoming ESPR Working Plan. The prioritized products will undergo further feasibility studies and stakeholder dialogues before formal regulatory measures are adopted.

Context and Significance

The ESPR is a cornerstone of the EU’s environmental and industrial policies, directly contributing to:

• Reduced waste and resource consumption
• Promotion of sustainable business practices
• Strengthening the competitiveness of Europe’s net-zero industry
• Accelerating the transition to climate neutrality

By expanding ecodesign beyond energy efficiency to encompass whole product lifecycles, the ESPR embodies the EU’s commitment to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

Sources:

• Joint Research Centre (JRC), EU Science Hub, Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation: Study on new product priorities, November 2024
• European Commission, Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (EU Regulation 2024/1781)

For readers passionate about sustainable products, these developments mark a pivotal advancement in creating greener, longer-lasting, and more circular goods across Europe’s markets. Stay tuned for updates as the ESPR shapes the future of product design in the EU.

Design Delight Studio curates high-impact, authoritative insights into sustainable and organic product trends, helping conscious consumers and innovative brands stay ahead in a fast-evolving green economy.