Source: European Parliament
The Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules for Apparel and Footwear (PEFCR A&F)[1] were developed by the textile industry based on Recommendation 2021/2279[2].
The aim is to facilitate reliable measurement of environmental impacts across a product’s life cycle, from raw material extraction to its end-of-life.
The PEFCR identifies environmental hotspots to support companies in improving their products but does not allow the communication of an overall single score and therefore cannot underpin the comparison among products made of different fibres in business-to-consumer communication.
Circularity aspects, such as renewability and biodegradability, are integrated into the Environmental Footprint (EF) method’s 16 impact categories. Separated indicators could lead to double-counting and therefore they are deemed as not needed.
Regarding microplastics, while their release is not yet a specific impact category due to the lack of a robust scientific model, the PEFCR A&F already requires an assessment of fibre fragmentation during laundry.
The Commission will make an effort to include the latest scientific evidence related to microplastic release in the upcoming revision of the EF methods.
The use of natural fibres as a biodegradable and microplastic free alternative to fossil-based synthetic fibres will also be looked at in the context of the review of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy[3].
- [1] https://pefapparelandfootwear.eu/.
- [2] Commission Recommendation (EU) 2021/2279 of 15 December 2021 on the use of the Environmental Footprint methods to measure and communicate the life cycle environmental performance of products and organisations, C/2021/9332, OJ L 471, 30.12.2021, p. 1-396.
- [3] expected by the end of 2025: https://environment.ec.europa.eu/news/commission-launches-consultation-eu-bioeconomy-strategy-2025-03-31_en.