A coalition of leading European industry organisations, including Textile Recycling Europe, Policy Hub, the European Branded Clothing Association (EBCA), EuroCommerce, and the Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI), is urging the European Commission to proceed with a targeted revision of the Textile Labelling Regulation (TLR).

The organisations argue that the current framework, introduced in 2011, no longer reflects the realities of recycled fibres, digital product information, and the EU's evolving circular textiles agenda.

Among the key priorities identified in the joint statement:

🔹 Updated fibre composition rules to better reflect recycled, organic, and innovative materials.

🔹 Greater flexibility in tolerance margins, making it easier to accurately communicate recycled fibre content.

🔹 Digitalisation of textile labelling, reducing reliance on increasingly complex physical labels. Industry research suggests that around 70% of consumers remove large textile labels.

🔹 Harmonisation of national labelling requirements across the EU to reduce market fragmentation.

🔹 Clear differentiation between information provided through physical labels and future Digital Product Passports (DPPs).

According to the signatories, modernising textile labelling is essential to support textile circularity, improve transparency, and facilitate the integration of recycled materials into the European market.

For textile recyclers, the issue goes far beyond labelling. Accurate fibre identification, recycled content communication, and alignment with Digital Product Passports will play a critical role in scaling circular textile value chains across Europe.

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