Reducing textile and food waste, EU rules

The challenges of waste management in Europe

The European Union faces enormous challenges when it comes to waste management. Every year, massive quantities of food and textile waste are produced, totalling around 60 million tonnes and 12.6 million tonnes respectively. These alarming figures underline the urgency of implementing effective measures to promote a circular economy and reduce the waste of resources. Faced with this reality, the European Parliament is committed to adopting ambitious policies aimed at transform environmental challenges into opportunities for sustainable growth.

Reducing textile and food waste: new rules to support the circular economy

With this in mind, theEuropean Parliament recently adopted bold proposals to step up efforts to reduce textile and food waste across the European Union. This initiative, approved by a large majority, aims to meet environmental challenges while promoting sustainable economic growth. Members of the European Parliament have expressed their desire to raise food waste reduction targets. They propose raising binding targets for reducing food waste to at least 20% in food processing and manufacturing, and 40% per capita in retail, catering, food services and households. These targets must be met at national level by December 31, 2030. MEPs also call for an assessment of the possibility of introducing even more ambitious targets for the year 2035.