Editorial: EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles Threatened by Reports of Systemic Greenwashing

The EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles, which was published by the European Commission on March 30, 2022, aims to establish a thriving circular ecosystem for the textile and apparel industries in the 27 EU member states. In general, the strategy received an enthusiastic reception, and many industry stakeholders expressed hope that it would represent the beginning of a new dawn for the textile and apparel industries in the EU. However, the prospects for the strategy look bleak following the publication of three papers. One of the papers raises concerns about the ways the environmental impact of the fashion industry is being measured and reported. Another of the papers alleges that established organisations have failed to help brands address the damaging impact they have on the environment.

The third paper exposes failings by some of the existing authorities to police greenwashing in the textile and apparel industries. In this report, Robin Anson examines the EU strategy and its implications for the EU textile and apparel industries, including the introduction of digital product passports and restrictions on exports of textile waste. Also, he investigates claims made in the three papers which threaten to overshadow the publication of the strategy entirely.