This is the new regulation of the EU Parliament, which passed this important decision with a large majority on April 23, 2024 as part of the Ecodesign Regulation. Will fast fashion soon be a thing of the past? Probably not for now.
Every year, millions of tons of new, unsold clothing and accessories are simply shredded and often burned or end up as garbage in places like the Atacama Desert in Chile, where they threaten the ecosystem. This also happens with clothing, shoes and accessories that are returned to brands by customers.
According to the Federal Environment Ministry, the average consumer in Germany alone buys an average of 60 items of clothing per year. Sales have more than doubled since the turn of the millennium, particularly due to e-commerce, which is why the textile industry is responsible for 10% of global CO2 emissions. The extreme increase in ultra-fast fashion by brands such as Shein from China, which have long since overtaken Inditex (the umbrella brand to which Zara and Bershka belong, among others) and H&M, is causing an ever greater environmental problem, as the clothing and accessories are too often of very poor quality and quickly end up in the trash and are burned because they cannot even be recycled. The damage to the environment and people is extremely high. Overproduction is a calculated business model.
The Ecodesign Regulation prohibits the destruction of new goods in the EU after two years. Recycling and upcycling are exempt. A transition period of six years applies to small companies. The aim of the regulation is to limit overproduction. Currently, one third of the clothing and shoes produced each year are not sold. The regulation does not describe exactly how this goal is to be achieved. Therefore, the ban will neither end nor stop overproduction. There are no clear rules on how ultra-fast fashion companies in particular can be better controlled in order to prevent the destruction of new goods. There is therefore hope that this regulation will lead to a rethink among fashion brands in Europe and internationally.
What do you think about the new Ecodesign Regulation? Will it help to get the problem under control? Feel free to share your opinion with us on our Instagram channel "ooohnice.store".
