Revised EU Waste Framework Directive Enters into Force to Enhance Textile Circularity and Reduce Food Waste

On 16 October 2025, the European Union’s targeted revision of the Waste Framework Directive came into effect, introducing pivotal measures aimed at promoting sustainability in the textile sector and significantly reducing food waste across Member States. These updates align with the EU’s Competitiveness Compass and Strategic Agenda 2024-29, fostering innovation, resource efficiency, and environmental protection.

Key Measures for Textile Waste Management

Economic Impact and Environmental Challenges

• The EU textile and clothing sector generated €170 billion in turnover in 2023, supporting 1.3 million jobs across nearly 200,000 companies.
• Despite economic significance, the sector has substantial environmental footprints: in 2020, it ranked third for water and land use impact and fifth for raw material consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
• Approximately 12.6 million tonnes of textile waste were produced in 2019, with only 20% separately collected for reuse or recycling.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Textiles and Footwear

• All Member States must establish EPR schemes for textiles and footwear based on common EU-wide rules.
• Producers are obliged to pay fees per product placed on the market; these funds finance collection, sorting, recycling, and disposal systems.
• EPR fees will be eco-modulated to reflect sustainability criteria such as durability and recyclability, encouraging producers to design more circular products aligned with the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation.
• Fees also support consumer education on sustainable textiles and innovation in waste prevention and management.

Clarification on Textile Waste Classification

• Textiles separately collected are classified as waste, requiring compulsory sorting before export, preventing misuse of labels that circumvent waste shipment regulations.
• Unsplited textile waste will be regulated under the Waste Shipment Regulation to ensure uniform handling across the EU.

Binding Food Waste Reduction Targets

Ambitious Reduction Goals by 2030

• Member States must reduce food waste by:
  • 10% in processing and manufacturing stages.
  • 30% per capita at retail and consumption levels, covering households, restaurants, and food services.

Implementation and Monitoring

• Countries are tasked with enhancing food waste prevention programs including behavioral change interventions, awareness campaigns, and supply chain efficiency.
• Strengthened obligations require businesses to offer food donation agreements to food redistribution organizations like food banks.
• The European Commission will review progress comprehensively by 2027, studying root causes and potentially adjusting targets up to 2035.
• Implementing rules will consider tourism-related variations in food waste.

Timeline and Next Steps for Member States

• 20 months to transpose the revised Directive into national legislation.
• 30 months to establish EPR schemes for textile and footwear products.
• 17 January 2026: Designation of competent authorities responsible for coordinating food waste prevention.
• 17 October 2027: Adaptation of food waste prevention programmes complying with new measures.

Background and Context

The 2025 revision builds on the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles and contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 12.3’s aim to halve food waste by 2030. Importantly, social economy enterprises handling second-hand textiles are exempt from EPR fees to support their operations.

Data up to 2023 showed persistent high food waste levels with no clear reduction trends, underscoring the urgency and importance of the revised Directive to guide the EU toward sustainability targets effectively.

Further Reading and Resources

• Waste Framework Directive and Targeted Revision
• EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles
• Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation
• Food Waste Statistics – Eurostat
• Joint Research Centre Report on Food Waste Impacts

By enforcing these forward-looking measures, the EU aims to significantly boost circularity in textiles and decisively cut down food waste, fostering a sustainable and resilient economy with reduced environmental burdens.

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.