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Frans Timmermans, executive vice-president of the European Commission has presented a project to force manufacturers to produce recyclable and repairable products.
This project concerns textiles as well as household appliances and electronics.
The aim is to make it easier to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

A digital passport

To do this, it proposes the introduction of a “digital passport” in the form of a QR code integrated into the product. This would allow:

• The guarantee of a traceability
• Information on the materials used for consumers, reclaimers and recyclers.
• The creation of a reparability or recycling score ranging from A to G.

In the textile industry, this would be a great boost for the circular economy, since today, worldwide, less than 1% of textile production is recycled.

Key data for textiles

Here are some key figures in the European Union, which allow us to say that the circular economy must be the solution for textiles:

• Each person buys about 26 kg of textiles per year,
• 73% are imported,
• 11kg are thrown away,
• 5.8 million tons of textile thrown away per year
• Its production doubled between 2000 and 2015.

A global project for all products

This project does not only concern textiles, but it aims to make a large part of the European market products “more ecological, circular and energy-saving”. Through their manufacture, for example a product made with a single material is more easily recyclable, it also passes through their use, and recycling.
In this project, the European Commission will have to tighten the design and manufacturing standards of products, as these largely determine their environmental impact, especially with more durable materials, and making maintenance and repair easier.
It has proposed a new regulation on the “ecodesign of sustainable products”. This text echoes and completes the 2009 directive on energy-related products, which had led to their labeling according to their electricity consumption. An instruction that has proven its benefit with the achievement of 120 billion euros in savings by 2021.

If you also want to accelerate the ecological transition of your company, CircularPlace has developed a marketplace allowing the resale of your non-food waste between professionals, and puts you in touch with associations to recover your products.

Don’t throw away any more, opt for the second hand!