A new way of making: The creation of a European circular textile lifecycle

11 European Textile Regions call for mandatory use of recycled materials in clothing to accelerate the circular textile industry


During the European Week of Regions and Cities 2024 session "A new way of making: The creation of a European circular textile lifecycle", organized by Think East Netherlands, Helga Witjes, Regional minister of the Province of Gelderland, handed over a position paper on behalf of 11 European Textile Regions to Gabriella Waibel, Policy Officer for Circular Economy at the European Commission. This paper calls for the mandatory incorporation of a minimum percentage of recycled materials in clothing as a crucial step towards creating a circular and sustainable textile industry.


The session was hosted by Committee of the Regions member Erwin Hoogland, regional minister of Overijssel.” The aim of this workshop is to clarify to the Committee of the Regios, the European Commission and the audience our experiences and what we believe needs to change to transform the current polluting and harmful textile industry into a circular, environmentally friendly and profitable market”.regions have a clear call to action: swiftly implement regulations that mandate recycled content in clothing to accelerate the transition to a circular textile value chain in Europe.

"The best way to align with existing European legislation under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system is to mandate a minimum percentage of recycled materials in clothing," emphasized Helga Witjes. "Rapid implementation of this regulation is essential to protect current industry leaders and scale up textile recycling."

Wendy de Jong, CEO of Oost NL and panelist during the session, also emphasized the urgency of quick action. "Innovative companies in the textile recycling sector urgently need clear policies to support their circular business models. We urge the European Commission to provide the direction needed for the future," said De Jong.