The publication of the latest Joint Research Centre (JRC) report, ‘Preparatory study on textiles for product policy instruments’, in December 2025 marks a milestone in defining future ecodesign requirements for the textile sector. The document does not merely map the environmental impact, but outlines a genuine technical architecture on which the ESPR (Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation) will be based.
Redefining ‘durable clothing’: beyond physical robustness
The JRC identifies robustness as the main technical lever for extending the useful life of products and reducing production pressure. However, a necessary consideration emerges: physical robustness, while an essential condition, does not in itself guarantee the longevity of a garment, which remains linked to aesthetic and consumption variables. To objectify this dimension, a scoring system from 0 to 10 based on parameters is proposed:
- Dimensional stability and spirality: to counteract post-washing deformation.
- Mechanical resistance: focused on traction, tearing, abrasion and pilling.
- Colour fastness: to ensure aesthetic integrity over time.
Recyclability and secondary materials: a necessary synergy
One fact stands out: the extraction and production of virgin raw materials account for over 60% of the total environmental impact of the life cycle. To reverse this trend, the JRC proposes two symbiotic strategies:
- Increased recyclability (D02): focused on material simplification (preference for single materials) and ease of disassembly of non-textile components such as buttons and zips.
- Recycled content (D03): the introduction of mandatory minimum thresholds, differentiated by fibre type. While ambitious targets are set for polyester (up to 30%), the thresholds for cotton remain lower initially (5%) so as not to compromise the physical strength of the product.
Reduced Carbon Footprint and Environmental Impact
This is the point where all the previous strategies converge. The JRC clarifies that material efficiency must translate into a measurable reduction in environmental impact and Carbon Footprint.
Measurability: It is not enough to simply declare savings; calculations based on PEF (Product Environmental Footprint) methodologies that consider the entire life cycle are required.
Reduction at source: The target drives towards low-energy production processes and the elimination of inefficiencies in the supply chain, making decarbonisation an essential market requirement.
Digital traceability as a prerequisite
The report clarifies that no circularity strategy will be feasible without a robust data infrastructure. The Digital Product Passport (DPP) emerges as the key tool for truthfully communicating “technical recyclability” and secondary material content, countering the risks of greenwashing through certified chains of custody.
Finally, the document addresses the complexity of textile chemistry. With around 15,000 substances in use, the presence of ‘persistent pollutants’ (PFAS) or heavy metals is now the main obstacle to the creation of safe recycling streams. The focus therefore shifts to performance requirements that drastically limit the concentrations of substances that prevent circularity.
Conclusions
The JRC report gives us a vision of textiles where sustainability is no longer a narrative attribute, but a quantitatively measurable engineering variable. Companies are called upon to make a cultural leap: designing today means not only looking at function and aesthetics, but also anticipating the end of life of the product, ensuring transparency and integrity in every single chemical bond and fibre used.
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