ReHubs to finalize European textile recycling roadmap by September
The announcement follows the rollout of extended producer responsibility (EPR) on Jan. 1, 2025, which now requires brands, retailers and importers to either manage or fund the end-of-life processing of their products within the European Union.
According to a press release, the updated ReHubs roadmap—part of a pan-European initiative launched in 2020 —will outline action plans for key stakeholders, identify priority investments, define measurable performance indicators and map out a step-by-step framework to accelerate textile-to-textile recycling.
The project first took shape in 2021 with the launch of 'Transform Waste into Feedstock,' a pilot program in partnership with Texaid, a Swiss company specializing in converting used fabrics into reusable raw materials. With operations in Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary and the United States, Texaid helped establish the foundations for a future network of automated sorting and recycling hubs.
In 2023, ReHubs transitioned into a formal organization, ReHubs Europe, now backed by more than 30 partners. The initiative aims to increase Europe's annual textile recycling volume to 2.5 million tonnes.
The timing of this roadmap is especially significant. Recent shifts in EU sustainability legislation have unsettled the European textile industry, particularly changes to the European duty of care framework and the proposed Green Claims directive, which governs environmental marketing claims. Euratex has called on Brussels for a more transparent legislative calendar to avoid market disruptions and ensure a stable path forward for sustainable investments.
'The textile and clothing industry is at a turning point,' said Robert van de Kerkhof, CEO of ReHubs. 'With changing legislation and rapid technological advances, we have a unique opportunity to implement a systemic transformation that benefits the environment, the economy and society. ReHubs is proud to lead this initiative by federating diverse stakeholders around a clear and concrete roadmap. Together, we can build a resilient and circular textile ecosystem, capable of meeting today's challenges and seizing tomorrow's opportunities.'
This announcement also arrives at a critical moment for Europe's textile collection and sorting sector. Traditionally funded by the resale of second-hand garments, the model has come under pressure as export markets decline—partly due to the surge in volumes of used textiles collected in Asia. The shift has weakened a long-standing economic structure, prompting calls from both industry players and governments to accelerate the transition toward domestic recycling systems.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
an hour ago
- Euronews
Travel sector slams proposed ETIAS fee hike as ‘disproportionate'
European aviation and travel group bosses have criticised the proposed increase in the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) fee from €7 to €20. A joint statement from travel industry leaders, including the European Travel Agents' and Tour Operators' Association (ECTAA), European Tourism Association, Airlines for Europe (A4E) said the price hike was disproportionate and a threat to the continent's travel competitiveness. 'This increase appears disproportionate and runs counter to the original intention of the co-legislators (European Parliament and Council), who agreed to a modest and reasonable fee during the 2018 negotiations – a key outcome supported by the travel and tourism sector,' the statement reads. They highlighted concerns about fairness and pointed out that although the fee increase may be small on its own, it would add to escalating costs for families. This is especially as overnight taxes have also soared in several popular European cities, such as Barcelona, Venice and Lisbon. The ETIAS fee increase poses 'another cost and administrative burden on travellers, with little noticeable benefit to the user experience', according to Patrick Diemer, chair of BT4Europe, as reported by Business Travel News. He added: 'We support secure, efficient entry systems, but only where they deliver real value to travellers and businesses alike. This fee hike sends the wrong signal.' The ETIAS is likely to start operating late next year, requiring visa-exempt non-EU travellers from countries like US, UK, Brazil, Canada and Australia to get an online authorisation before travelling to the EU. Lack of transparency and insufficient evidence for fee hike The ETIAS fee increase also comes as the European travel and tourism sector faces ongoing challenges caused by high inflation, geopolitical instability and soaring operational costs. Travel industry leaders raised concerns about the lack of transparency around the proposed figure and questioned whether other pricing models, such as €10 or €12 had been sufficiently considered. 'At present, insufficient evidence has been offered to justify that such a fee level is necessary for the operation and maintenance of ETIAS,' said the statement. The EU has cited higher operational costs for this price jump and emphasised that it will also help it better align with international travel standards. The hike is expected to help pay for ongoing maintenance, new technical features and operational staffing. This will include stronger encryption, upgraded automation and better coordination with other EU travel systems such as the Entry/Exit System (EES). Travel associations slammed using other travel authorisation schemes such as the UK ETA as justification for the ETIAS, saying: 'Fee decisions should reflect the actual operational needs of the EU system and be fully justified. They should not aim to align with unrelated schemes without clear rationale and legal basis.' They are calling for an impact assessment by the European Commission, justifying the proposed fee hike with a thorough cost breakdown.. The Council and European Parliament have also been urged to implement a more evidence-based and proportionate fee.
France 24
3 hours ago
- France 24
Meta to ban political ads in EU due to bloc's 'unworkable' rules
The EU has a bolstered legal armoury to rein in Big Tech, against which Meta has hit out with the support of the US administration under President Donald Trump. "This is a difficult decision -- one we've taken in response to the EU's incoming Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) regulation," the company said. Political, electoral and social issue advertising will no longer be allowed from October in the bloc, it said, because of "unworkable requirements" under the new rules. "Unfortunately, the TTPA introduces significant, additional obligations to our processes and systems that create an untenable level of complexity and legal uncertainty for advertisers and platforms operating in the EU," Meta added. The EU says its political advertising rules seek to increase transparency in online advertising after Facebook's Cambridge Analytica scandal, which came to light in 2018. Cambridge Analytica was a consulting firm that was found to have improperly accessed personal data from millions of Facebook users for targeted political advertising, particularly during the 2016 US election and Brexit referendum. The change is set to impact Meta's flagship platforms Facebook and Instagram, as well as WhatsApp -- which is largely ad-free but announced in June it would be introducing new advertising features in some parts of the app. Meta said it was "not the only company to have been forced into this position". Google last year announced it would also prevent political advertising in the EU from October 2025 because of the "significant new operational challenges and legal uncertainties". Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been highly critical of European rules, accusing Brussels in January of "censorship" and equating EU fines against the company to tariffs. The latest row between Meta and the EU has been over the firm's "pay or consent" system. The EU imposed a 200-million-euro ($235-million) fine in April after concluding Meta violated rules on the use of personal data on Facebook and Instagram. The company faces additional daily penalties if it does not make changes, with Brussels yet to decide whether Meta has modified the platforms enough to avoid more fines.
Euronews
3 hours ago
- Euronews
Hammered by US tariffs, Volkswagen's profit drops sharply
The biggest European carmaker, Volkswagen Group, saw its profit decline sharply in the first six months of 2025; the operating result came in at €6.7bn, 33% lower than a year ago. Sales revenue was roughly in line with the previous year's, at €158.4bn. According to the company's statement, the decline in income stemmed from increased US import tariffs, restructuring measures that cost €700 million and higher sales of lower-margin all-electric models. 'Excluding these items, the operating margin in the second quarter is at nearly 7%, representing the upper end of our expectations,' said Arno Antlitz CFO & COO at Volkswagen Group. Europe's largest carmaker is under pressure to cut costs as its net cash flow came in at -€1.4bn for the first six months of 2025. Volkswagen's share price was up by more than 3% around midday on Friday in Europe. Sales remain stable, and EVs could bring relief Due to the increased tariffs, sales in the US dropped sharply by 16%, but a 19% growth in South America, solid figures in Western Europe (+2 %), as well as Central and Eastern Europe (+5 %) compensated for this. Overall, new car sales in the EU dropped by 1.9% in the first half of 2025, year-on-year, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA). Volkswagen's overall sales in this period increased by 2.3% in the bloc, led by Volkswagen, Skoda and Cupra models. The car maker reported that order intake for EVs increased by 62%. 'In Europe, we expanded our leading position in electric mobility, with a market share of 28% and order books remain well filled,' said the CEO, Oliver Blume. What is in the cards for Volkswagen? The German carmaker updated its financial guidance for investors, adding that it expects sales revenue to be in line with the previous year's figure, instead of the +5% they previously projected. The operating return on sales is now expected to fall between 4% and 5%, down from 5.5% to 6.5%. The most pessimistic scenario assumes that US tariffs of 27.5% will continue to apply in the second half of 2025, the optimistic forecasts refer to US tariffs reduced to 10%. "There is high uncertainty about further developments with regard to the tariffs, their impact and any reciprocal effects," read the statement. The European Union and the United States are currently negotiating a trade agreement to settle tariffs between the countries before the 1 August deadline. Washington threatened the EU with 30% tariffs if there is no deal by that day. Meanwhile, the EU has also prepared its own countermeasures to deploy if the time comes. 'We are counting on the European Commission and the US government to reach a balanced outcome on the tariff issue,' said the CEO of Volkswagen on a call on Friday.
