Pressemeldungen - Unternehmensverantwortung & Lieferkettengesetz
This fashion system is unsustainable – a textile law must stop exploitation and environmental degradation by the textile industry
The Ministry of the Environment is planning a legislative package that will allow fast-fashion manufacturers to contribute to the costs of disposal and recycling. In doing so, it is implementing an EU requirement, namely extended producer responsibility (EPR), which entered into force in October 2025.
Press release of the Clean Clothes Campaign, of which FEMNET is a member.
The Ministry of the Environment is planning a legislative package that will allow fast-fashion manufacturers to contribute to the costs of disposal and recycling. In doing so, it is implementing an EU requirement, namely extended producer responsibility (EPR), which entered into force in October 2025.
The textile industry accounts for around 10% of global CO₂ emissions and has been producing for decades on the backs of workers who are often discriminated against on the basis of gender, class or ethnicity. Mountains of old clothes in countries like Ghana, exploitative working conditions in Bangladeshi textile factories and the environmental and climate costs of industry are causing global injustices.
The EU Textile Strategy and the EU Circular Economy Action Plan provide important impetus. However, the currently envisaged transposition into national law must ensure that the planned textile law does not reduce the problem of (ultra-)fast fashion to waste management. Rather, it must be a first effective step towards climate justice, better working conditions and global justice. This can only be achieved if environmental and social aspects are taken into account in the extended producer responsibility (EPR) to be regulated. That's why the Clean Clothes Campaign has a detailed opinion formulated. The claims at a glance:
We demand from the Federal Government:
- Steering effect instead of greenwashing: EPR must make (ultra-)fast fashion unattractive through high levies on inferior products and make longevity, circularity and social minimum standards mandatory.
- Reduce overproduction: Millions of unsold garments end up in the global South. Steering ecomodulation (division of licences according to ecological criteria) is a first step.
- Transparency and controls: Manufacturers must provide detailed information on health risks and human rights via the digital product passport.
- Global responsibility: A transformation fund aims to promote decent working conditions, innovation and a circular economy.
- Duty of care: The textile law must be designed in such a way that the measures do not lead to further injustice for workers.
- Participation and protection of marginalised groups: Trade unions, human rights and environmental organisations must be involved in legislative development and implementation.
A strong textile law is an opportunity to reorient the textile industry socially and ecologically.
It must clearly regulate manufacturers’ responsibilities for human rights, decent work and global justice – and ensure that change is shaped by those who support it: employees worldwide.
Quotes:
"If social and environmental aspects are not considered together, everything will remain as it is. Costs will simply be passed on to other countries, as demonstrated by experience with crises such as the customs war and the Covid19 pandemic." Dr Jiska Gojowczyk, SOUTHWIND Institute
"Only by integrating workers' perspectives into decision-making processes can decent working conditions, genuine climate protection and a fair fashion system be achieved – strong trade unions and legally guaranteed participation without repression are needed." - Helen Gimber, Clean Clothes Campaign
“We are heating the climate with overproduction. At the same time, seamstresses suffer from exploitative working conditions and the consequences of the climate crisis. The Textile Act must stop overproduction and exploitation." – Dr Gisela Burckhardt, FEMNET
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Contacts
Dr. Jiska Gojowczyk, SOUTH WIND Institute,
Helen Gimber, Clean Clothes Campaign,
Dr. Gisela Burckhardt, FEMNET,
Berndt Hinzmann, INKOTA network,
