Filenews 9 September 2025
The European Parliament has adopted new rules to reduce food and textile waste in the EU, setting targets for 2030 and introducing extended producer responsibility (EPR) for textiles. The act was adopted at second reading without objections; this is followed by a signature by Parliament and the Council and publication in the Official Journal, with a deadline of 20 months for transposition into national law.
What's changing in food (targets by Dec. 31, 2030)
- -10% waste from food processing & processing.
- -30% per capita from retail, catering/catering and households.
- The measurement is against the 2021–2023 average.
- Member States will take measures to ensure that large economic operators facilitate donations of unsold safe food.
What is changing in fabrics (new DEP)
- Textile producers will cover the costs of collection, sorting, recycling through EPR systems that each country will establish within 30 months of entry into force.
- It applies to all producers, including those selling through e-commerce, inside or outside the EU.
- Micro-enterprises have +1 year of adjustment.
- Clothes, accessories, hats, footwear, blankets, bedding, curtains are covered. States can extend DEP to strata as well.
- States will take action against fast-track fashion practices when determining contributions to faculty systems.
Why the measures are needed (key facts)
- Every European generates 132 kg of food waste per year.
- Textile waste amounts to 12.6 million tons per year, of which 5.2 million tons are clothing and footwear (~12 kg/person).
- <1% of textiles are recycled into new products.
