Thursday, 11 September 2025
The European Parliament has approved new EU-wide rules to cut food waste and mandate Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for textiles. Member States must meet 2030 reduction targets and implement textile EPR schemes within 30 months. While praised as progress, critics say the measures fall short of global sustainability goals.
The European Parliament has officially adopted updated legislation under the Waste Framework Directive (WFD) aimed at significantly reducing food waste and establishing mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for textiles across EU member states.
These updates follow an agreement reached in February 2025 between the European Parliament and the Council. The revised measures are expected to be published shortly in the EU’s Official Journal and will become legally binding across the EU, though they do not apply to the United Kingdom.
For the first time, the EU will impose binding food waste reduction targets on its Member States for the year 2030. These targets are:
30% reduction in food waste for retail, restaurants, food services, and households
10% reduction for the food processing and manufacturing sector
These reductions will be calculated against baseline data collected between 2021 and 2023. The targets are part of the EU’s broader environmental strategy, though environmental groups like Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) have criticised the targets as falling short of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, which calls for a 50% reduction across the entire food supply chain.
ZWE’s Theresa Mörsen noted:
“EU-wide binding targets guarantee fairness among Member States and provide clear guidance for food businesses and investors in circular solutions for the years to come. This revision is, unfortunately, a missed opportunity to fully align the food sector with the EU climate goals.”
The revision introduces the EU’s first mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (tEPR) scheme for textiles. This measure places the environmental responsibility for products on producers, covering the costs of collecting, sorting, and recycling textiles.
All Member States must implement EPR schemes for textiles within 30 months of the directive entering into force.
Micro-enterprises will receive an additional 12-month grace period before requirements apply.
The scheme covers a broad range of textile products, including:
Clothing
Accessories
Footwear
Bed and kitchen linen
Blankets, curtains, and hats
Member States may also choose to extend the scheme to cover mattresses.
Textiles reuse and recycling expert Dawn Dungate welcomed the vote as a “hugely positive step,” but urged the UK to follow suit independently:
“The UK government must act faster than the EU’s 2028 timeline and, crucially, ensure any funds raised through EPR are ringfenced for the textile sector itself. Without this, we risk losing vital businesses who manage one of the most difficult waste streams.”
While the new legislation marks a milestone for sustainability, environmental NGOs have expressed disappointment with elements of the final agreement:
No binding targets were set for textile reuse, collection, or recycling.
The 30-month implementation window was criticised as an “unnecessary delay.”
Municipalities and sorters are already struggling with separate textile collection and need urgent funding support, ZWE said.
Andrea Veselá of Zero Waste Europe stated:
“We see that municipalities, as well as sorters, already struggle to meet the separate collection obligation for textiles without further EPR funding. ZWE recommends EU member states swiftly introduce EPR schemes that support prevention and best practices for waste collection, sorting, and local reuse.”
It’s important to note that these legislative changes do not apply to the United Kingdom, following its exit from the European Union. Environmental experts warn that the UK risks falling behind if it does not implement a parallel system or act more swiftly than the EU’s timeline.
With the new rules on food waste and textiles EPR, the EU is taking a structured, enforceable approach to two of the most pressing sustainability challenges facing the continent. While some argue the measures could have gone further, they mark a significant step in harmonising environmental responsibility across sectors and Member States.
The directive’s publication and subsequent transposition into national law will trigger major changes in waste management practices, particularly in the textile and food sectors. Stakeholders are now being called upon to prepare for compliance, and to seize opportunities for innovation in sustainable design, circular business models, and consumer engagement.
As the revised EU Waste Framework Directive moves toward formal adoption, Ireland faces key decisions about how it will implement and enforce the new rules. With binding targets and producer responsibility frameworks now enshrined in EU law, Ireland must move from compliance planning to strategic execution.
Responsibility for transposing the directive in Ireland will largely fall under the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. This will involve:
Drafting and enacting national legislation aligned with the EU directive.
Establishing a clear timeline for textile EPR rollout, including stakeholder consultations.
Creating a monitoring framework to track food waste reductions across different sectors.
Given the 30-month implementation window, Ireland will need to act quickly to design workable frameworks while ensuring the systems are robust, enforceable, and inclusive.
Stay informed: As the directive enters into force and Member States begin implementing changes, stakeholders across industries will need to monitor national regulations closely to remain compliant and contribute effectively to Europe’s green transition.
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