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Asociacion Empresarios Textiles de la Comunidad Valenciana

ATEVAL

ATEVAL is a private industrial association.

Lobbying Activity

Response to Revision of EU rules on textile labelling

29 Sept 2023

ATEVAL, as a member of EURATEX, aligns with the comments and suggestions presented in EURATEX's document. This document underscores that, on the whole, Regulation 1007/2011 has effectively served its purpose and achieved its overarching goals of providing consumers with valuable information regarding textile product properties. However, considering the advancements in technology, shifts in societal dynamics, and the evolving regulatory landscape for textiles, particularly in light of the EU's sustainable textiles strategy, a comprehensive review of Regulation 1007/2011 has become imperative to ensure regulatory coherence. We have attached the complete document for your reference, and we earnestly hope that it garners your attention
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Response to EU strategy for sustainable textiles

1 Feb 2021

The main trends in the textile sector in terms of consumer demand are a change in product search and purchase habits, typical of the current technological advances where social networks and mobile devices are playing a greater role. So far, only a small fraction of consumers have developed an environmental sensitivity to the demand for more sustainable products, although this is a growing trend. As consumers, we still have a lot of room for improvement as, despite the increase in a waste generation because of rapid fashion changes, only half of the clothes are destined for reuse and recycling in the European environment, with only 1% being recycled. Spain, with 6.6 kg person/year, together with Italy and the Netherlands, is one of the countries that discarded the largest amount of clothes in 2014. However, we have advantages to advance in the first stages of the waste hierarchy, since we have a developed infrastructure of platforms and companies that combine the environmental and social dimension to bet on the reuse of garments in the first term, and, failing that, their recovery. With this commitment to improvement, in terms of the circular economy, a separate collection and management scheme for textile waste will be mandatory from 2025. As early as 2024, the European Commission will have to assess whether it will be necessary to include targets for reuse and recycling in this waste stream. The adoption of more ambitious targets for separate collection of packaging will lead to an increase in the collection of higher value plastic materials such as PET, which could affect a greater availability of secondary raw materials for the manufacture of acrylic or nylon fibres, with a smaller water footprint during their manufacture and lower energy needs during their use (lower temperatures during washing and ironing). In this new paradigm, circular economy and innovation go hand in hand to advance in sustainability, also within the range of natural fibres, which is making it possible to work with vegetable waste allowing fibres such as lyocell to become a reality. VALENCIAN FRAME PRE-CONSUMER WASTE: this is collected directly from each of the companies that generate it and is processed directly to obtain the raw material. The companies obtain this type of waste from national companies but mainly import fabric waste from large garment factories in Asia and America. UNUSED POST-CONSUMER WASTE: Currently, the surplus from brands is not being used as waste for recycling and ends up in landfill, except for an agreement between a brand and an open-end spinning mill. With the new legislation coming into force in 2025 and the ban on landfilling textiles, there is an opportunity to reprocess these textiles. POST-CONSUMER WASTE USED Currently, in textiles, there is a major problem with the lack of traceability of waste from the time it is deposited in specific containers until it arrives at landfill sites. At present, collection in containers is being carried out by concessions to companies of a social nature, such as CÁRITAS or HUMANA. These companies are in charge of the first selection of garments, which will be sent for reuse. In a second selection, they are used for recycling, with the remaining part going to landfill. In this second phase of recycling, the textile companies produce rags. However, there is currently an environmental problem arising from the uncontrolled accumulation of waste in fields and premises in order to avoid going to landfill and paying the corresponding fee. The textile waste and shredded textile waste is mainly destined for: - Scraps for open-end and carding yarns in white, black and colours, fibres for fillers, geotextiles and needle punched fibres, for the manufacture of insulations, Blanket factories, Open-end yarns, Carda spinning mills, Non-Woven mills, fillings (dolls, pillows), felts suitable for acoustic and thermal insulation (automotive), and biodegradable geotextiles or organic blankets
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