Inspired by successful examples in other sectors, the EU’s intent is to offer consumers information about the green credentials of clothes and shoes at point of purchase.  This would in turn encourage brands and retailers to offer products that are designed to be more energy-efficient, durable, reusable, repairable and recyclable.

Currently, however, the way sustainability is counted makes it impossible for natural fibres to receive a positive score.

Make the Label Count

“A credible sustainability label has the potential to make the industry greener and empower EU consumers to make informed choices,” says Dalena White, Secretary General of the International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO) and Co-Spokesperson for Make the Label Count campaign, along with Livia Firth of Eco-Age.

“We are very excited that the textile industry will be regulated in the near future and that proposed legislation will assist concerned consumers to make responsible decisions.

“EU policy makers have a crucial role to play in ensuring that labelling is supported by a system that presents a level playing field for all fibres by considering the full impacts of each garment’s life cycle.”

Where We Need to Measure Up

As it stands today, sustainability labelling does not account for crucial environmental impacts that sit at the forefront of EU policy:

The adverse effects of microplastic pollution, a known side effect of wearing and washing synthetic clothing, is absent from the scoring.

While all garments shed microfibres through laundering and daily wear, only synthetic garments made from fossil fuels discharge microplastic fibres. Microplastic pollution contaminates both terrestrial and marine environments and has entered the food chain. Scientific studies have shown that one typical 5-kilogram wash of fossil fuel-based garments can release as many as 6 million microplastic fibres.