Contribution to the Webinar Series: EU Green Deal Policies and their Relevance in Asia-Pacific

ACEBA participated in the webinar on “The EU Eco-Design and Sustainable Production Regulation (ESPR) and the Textile Sector: towards circular fashion for the Asia Pacific Region”, jointly organized by the EU SWITCH Asia Policy Support Component (PSC) on Sustainable Consumption and Production and the European Environment Bureau, held on 19^th March 2025.

The EU Eco-Design and Sustainable Product Regulation (ESPR) is a key element of the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles. It provides a regulatory framework to make products more environmentally friendly throughout their life cycle. It sets Eco-Design requirements for a range of products, including apparel and textile. Eco-Design is aimed to address: durability and reliability; reusability; upgradability, repairability, maintenance and refurbishment; presence of substances of concern in products; energy and resource efficiency; products’ recycled content; product remanufacturing and recycling; carbon and environmental footprints; and expected generation of waste material.

Emily MACINTOSH, Senior Policy Officer for Textile, European Environmental Bureau (EEB) provided a detailed background and overview of the ESPR and its application to apparel. The ESPR provides general eco-design requirements, including both physical and information requirements, and established a process for further specification for select product groups, which has just started for apparel product group. Industry input is being garnered to operationalize the eco-design criteria and establish realistic timelines for their adoption.

Carsten WENTINK, Policy officer at the European Commission, DG Environment, provided a broader policy perspective on ESPR and its application in the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles. They provide for operationalization of the EU Circular Economy Action Plan.

Zainab NAEEM, Head of Ecological Sustainability & Circular Economy, Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) elaborated on the emergence and operation of the apparel waste value chain in Pakistan. Imported second hand clothing is sorted and directed towards direct reuse (second hand apparel markets) or repurposed into garments, textile accessories and/or upholstery filling, some of which is then re-exported from Pakistan. She further expressed that textile and garment firms, many of which are small or medium enterprises (SMEs), remain still ill-informed about circular fashion requirements, and are expected to face technical, managerial and financial challenges to comply.

Mark DRAECK, Chief Technical Advisor, Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency Unit, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) provided a brief introduction to the EU SWITCH to Circular value chain project, which is implemented in textile sector in Bangladesh to achieve post-industrial textile waste utilization in collaboration with H&M and Bestseller. He indicated that technological solutions are available, however, challenges remain to scale up reverse logistics to secure supply of recyclable textile waste, ensure traceability therein, and further improve technology.

René VAN BERKEL, Senior Expert (EU SWITCH Asia PSC) and international faculty (Thammasat University, Thailand) noted that whilst many textile and garment businesses in SE Asia are yet to engage with circular economy concepts and requirements, some leading companies have started to adopt circular economy relevant innovations. The SWITCH Asia PSC supported development and publication of 14 business cases from textile and garment sector.Pan Brothers (Indonesia) has adopted advanced technology to reduce fabric waste, improve energy, water and chemicals efficiency and works with partners to recycle or repurpose fabric waste. Pable (Indonesia) and SC Grand(Thailand) undertake mechanical fabric to fabric recycling turning used workwear and garment waste into new fabrics and garments. In terms of repurposing, Moreloops (Thailand) facilitates trade in deadstock fabric to small producers of garments and textile accessories. Furthermore, Reztyle (Philippines) and Kloth Circularity (Malaysia) collect post-consumer and other textile waste and turn these back into tote bags and other textile accessories using community sewing centres. TSD, ID Knitting and Thai Wacoal (all from Thailand) have started to use third party recycled PET and/or nylon as virgin material substitute into their fabric production. Three companies are focused on using new sustainable materials. Samatoa (Camodia) produces a silk alternative from lotus stem waste, Bayo (Philippines) switched to local eco-fabric materials, and Galeri Wong Kito (Indonesia) uses Gambier waste to dye ethnic fabrics. Norn norn (Thailand) offers premium matrasses on a subscription pay by use service with guaranteed end of life recycling and Pactics (Cambodia) manufactures bags with recycled and/or waterless dyed fabrics.