Have you ever heard about The ReSet the Trend campaign?

The European Commission has launched the “ReSet the Trend” campaign to encourage new consumption habits among young Europeans.

In the coming years, there will be 30 new regulations in different sectors to shape the EU Strategy for Sustainable & Circular Textiles.

The Commission wants our relationship with shopping to become less compulsive and more thoughtful.

“If consumers make different choices, brands will have to produce less” comments Commissioner Virginijus Siskevicius, spokesperson for this change.

The EPR regulation, which concerns the producer’s responsibility for the end of life of its products, is one of the most awaited and complex.

Durable/ recyclable/ repairable clothes

“First, the garments must last longer, and there will be repairability indices to allow comparison.”

80% of a product’s environmental impact during its lifecycle is determined at the design stage.

The choices made in the design stage have a decisive impact on the entire subsequent process.

The regulations will not be the same for everyone, but there will be different indications depending on the category of products referred to. When the strategy speaks of textiles, it also includes shoes, clothing, and home, different worlds, difficult to regulate uniformly.

“Sustainability does not start from textiles, but from design” says the Commissioner.

Overproduction and destruction of unsold garments

Another problem to be faced will be overproduction and destruction of unsold garments.
“I understand that every season needs different clothes, but those clothes don’t necessarily have to be new, we can use those from the previous season.

Or they can be recycled: but when they are not collected, when the chemicals used prevent this from happening, and they are shipped to other parts of the world with completely different standards, responsibility is not taken for what is being done.”

What tool will be made available to the consumer?

Thanks to a QR code inserted in the product, the Digital Product Passport, the consumer will have all information on the environmental and social impacts of the garments, on repairability and maintenance.

“There are now many certification schemes or labels of different types that have no substance.

We will introduce a proposal for certifications very soon, in March, based on which to classify some suitable certification schemes, obviously they will still be voluntary but it will not be possible to use others.

So those that have no meaning will be substantially banned in the EU.

Of course, this may have additional costs, but then the company will have a verified eco-label. This label can also be used to support communication, I would like to add. It is precisely in this context that the green claims regulation will be issued, which should actually hinder “greenwashing“.

Our small part

Martina Schiuma, our Head of Sustainability, gave a lecture on “the fashion traceability problem and Digital Product Passport”. Inspiring students of the Erasmus+ Programme (BIP) Sustainable Fashion creating the best engaging content for boosting sustainable consumption practices and raise awareness about the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles.

Discover the ReSet the Trend Campaign

Do you want to learn more about the ReSet the Trend campaign? Then click here.