Textiles - New environmental labelling on the horizon | Fieldfisher
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Textiles - New environmental labelling on the horizon

Marie-Léonie Vergnerie
3/28/2023
The Ministry of Ecological Transition has just provided the criteria for calculating the textiles eco-score.

👕As a reminder: This environmental labelling, which is based on the nutri-score for food products, was planned in 2020 by Article 15 of the Circular Economy Law, then replaced and clarified in 2021 by the Climate Law via Articles L. 541-9-11 to L. 541-9-15 of the Environmental Code.

♻️ Criteria considered: The environmental impact of textiles will be calculated on the basis of 8 criteria :
  1. Water consumption
  2. Physical durability
  3. Manufacturing in France or in Europe
  4. Use of pesticides and chemicals
  5. Release of microplastics
  6. Recycled material recovery
  7. Recovery of reconditioned, repaired and remarketed textiles
  8. Incentives for buy-back or repair

🗓️ Timeline: a first draft calculation method is announced for summer 2023, for implementation in 2024.
 
💶 Sanctions: Failure to label or non-compliant labelling is subject to administrative fines of up to €15,000 for legal entities. The eco-score will also be taken into account in the eco-contributions (premiums and penalties) applied by the eco-organization in charge of the extended producer responsibility (EPR) sector for Textiles, Household Linen, and Shoes (TLC).
 
⚠️ It should be noted that the clothing sector, which is considered to be particularly polluting, is already subject to various environmental information requirements with heavy penalties, such as:
  • product information sheets on the properties and environmental characteristics of the textiles, indicating, in particular, the main countries of weaving, dyeing and manufacturing
  • Triman and Info-Tri labels to promote the recovery of used clothing
  • a ban on generic or misleading environmental claims