Zero Waste Europe has called on governments to align the fashion and textile industry with environmental sustainability. The report, titled “Zero Waste Vision for Fashion,” examined the building blocks for a sustainable transition in the fast fashion industry.
Zero Waste Europe identified the points needed for transformation, demanding a concerted effort from governments to make the fashion and textile industry compatible with the planet. The report, titled “Zero Waste Vision for Fashion,” examined the building blocks for a sustainable transition in the fast fashion industry. The report includes key interventions, a ban on the destruction of unsold goods, targets on waste prevention and resource use, as well as financial incentives for producers.
Material use needs to be reduced in the global transition to a circular economy. The report recommends setting a target to reduce textile waste by a third compared to 2020 by 2040. It is stated that a number of initiatives could be integrated to reshape industries, such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs that encourage prevention, repair and reuse, and an environmental tax on virgin materials and plastics. The growth in the fast fashion industry in recent years has also increased the use of cheap synthetic fibers obtained from fossil sources. At this point, attention was drawn to the importance of determining the correct price. Measures have been put forward such as restricting fast fashion advertising and making repair and reuse more attractive to consumers and businesses. The report called on governments to take proactive steps to adopt best practices and realign the textile industry to the physical boundaries of the planet.
