New EU Directive on Textile and Food Waste: Countdown Begins for Member States

The approval process for the proposed amendment to the Waste Framework Directive (Directive 2008/98/EC) has been concluded: on Friday, September 26, Directive (EU) 2025/1892 of the European Parliament and of the Council was published in the Official Journal.

As expected, the amendment focuses on two particularly critical sectors from an environmental perspective and in the transition towards a circular economy: the textile and food sectors. It introduces:

• Binding targets for the reduction of food waste, which Member States must achieve by 2030;
• The introduction of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for textile products.

Specifically, regarding the second point, the EPR scheme for textiles will follow a management model similar to those already in place for other EPR regimes (e.g., packaging, batteries, electrical and electronic equipment), whereby the “producer” of the product is financially and operationally responsible for managing the product at the end of its life cycle. In practice, this will involve a series of obligations, such as registration in the “producer register,” participation in EPR management systems, payment of an “eco-contribution”.

Member States must comply with the directive by no later than June 17, 2027, so developments in national legislation are also to be expected.