EU Adopts New Rules to Curb Textile and Food Waste by 2030

According to the European Parliament’s official announcement, on September 9, the EU Parliament finalized legislation aimed at significantly reducing food and textile waste across member states, introducing binding targets and expanded responsibilities for producers.

The new regulations set ambitious food waste reduction targets to be achieved by December 31, 2030. According to the announcement, member states are required to cut waste from food processing and manufacturing by 10%, while retail, restaurants, food services, and households must reduce per capita waste by 30% compared to the average levels between 2021 and 2023. The law also emphasizes facilitating donations of safe, unsold food by key economic operators in each country.

Regarding textiles, producers offering products in the EU—including domestic and international companies and e-commerce platforms—will now bear the cost of collecting, sorting, and recycling textiles under new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes, according to European Parliament statements. Member states may also extend these schemes to mattresses. Micro-enterprises will be granted an additional year to comply. The rules specifically cover clothing, footwear, hats, blankets, bed and kitchen linens, curtains, and other similar items. EU countries are encouraged to account for fast and ultra-fast fashion practices when determining financial contributions to EPR systems.

The reports indicate that the legislation relies on EPR frameworks for textiles, standardizing waste collection and recycling. Food waste management will be supported by national strategies, including donation facilitation programs and public awareness campaigns.

The EU generates nearly 60 million tonnes of food waste and over 12 million tonnes of textile waste annually, according to EU data. Clothing and footwear alone contribute 5.2 million tonnes, yet less than 1% of textiles are recycled into new products. Analysts indicate that these new rules could reshape the retail and manufacturing landscape, encouraging sustainable production, expanded recycling infrastructure, and a shift away from fast fashion. Companies investing in circular economy initiatives are likely to gain a competitive advantage.

Following adoption, the legislation will be signed by both co-legislators and published in the EU Official Journal. It is reported that member states have 20 months to transpose the rules into national law.

Source: European Parliament