The EU Regulations on sustainable fashion: how will it impact your shopping choices?

Sustainability is THE buzzword when it comes to the fashion industry…Thinking they could sell you more with the promise of “green”, some brands are going crazy with false claims about their sustainability commitments…the only thing green here is Mr. Money. This is what we commonly call greenwashing!

Endlessly, we’ve heard people, experts, and probably also your dog, say that governments have the duty to protect us citizens from false information from companies…and it seems like the EU got the memo.

Are you a company or brand? Let’s get into a bit more technical details: request Renoon’s digest of the proposed European Framework, it’s on us 🙂

The new EU Regulation is expected to come into force by 2026…

Basically, as Věra Jourová, the EU Vice-President for Values and Transparency explained, the European Union will set up regulations to support you in your responsible purchasing decision, helping you picking products that last longer and can be repaired without second thoughts!

Okay, but how? They will ban misleading information, aka greenwashing, from companies and increase the overall transparency of products… You will be able to have clear information about how long the item is supposed to last for (like tech products’ guarantee) and how to repair it in case of need!

Basically, this new regulation, which is expected to come into force in 2026, will empower you in the green transition and will make sure that production in the EU respect social & environmental rights in full!

What will change for you?

All and nothing at the same time. You won’t need to change your habits or spend more for your purchases, BUT, at the same time, you will protected whenever you decide to do the right choice and buy something produced responsibly!

Indeed, the key shift will be the need for a third-party validation for any sustainability claims for companies. In two words? A ban to greenwashing in the EU!

How can you know if companies are respecting the rules? They will no longer be able to claim that they are “sustainable” or “conscious” or whatever by themselves; instead, the information will need to be verified by someone else, be it an independent third-party (like Renoon) or by public authority. What’s more, they will also have to present a Digital Product Passport, where you will be able to collect info about the recyclability, reparability and overall sustainability of the item. Cool right?

All in all, the road ahead seems brighter! It appears we will indeed have clear regulations soon, but til then, beware… greenwashing is just around the corner…

 

What does this mean if you are a brand?

We’re saving you 10 hours of research & reading with this summary we made… Request Renoon’s digest of the proposed European Framework, it’s on us 🙂