The global textile industry witnessed significant policy developments in 2024, reflecting an intensified commitment to sustainability and accountability. Governments and organisations worldwide introduced regulations to address environmental challenges and economic sustainability. These measures aim to guide the industry toward reducing its environmental impact, improving labour conditions, and fostering circularity.
As a company dedicated to transforming the textile industry into a greener, more sustainable sector, Alchemie Technology fully supports these initiatives and is ready to collaborate with brands and suppliers to meet their ESG goals and drive meaningful, sustainable outcomes, through digital textile dyeing and finishing technologies.
Here, we will review a selection of the most impactful textile policies from this year, identifying common themes throughout these policies for textile dyeing and finishing professionals.
Common Threads Defining Textile Policies Internationally
Across international textile policies of 2024, improved practices in waste management, circular economy adoption, and lower emissions were key themes to enable the textile dyeing and finishing sector to be more sustainable. Transparency and accountability are increasingly mandated, requiring companies to disclose climate risks, ESG metrics, and supply chain practices. Stricter chemical safety regulations highlight the urgency of phasing out hazardous substances and adopting safer alternatives (like bio-based solutions). Additionally, the push for product longevity and recyclability underscores the importance of designing textiles for durability, reuse, and end-of-life recovery, aligning with circular economy principles.
European Union: Leading the Charge on Sustainability
The European Union (EU) remains a frontrunner in implementing comprehensive policies that reshape the textile landscape. In 2024, the EU rolled out and expanded several regulatory measures:
- European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS)
- Companies operating within the EU are now required to disclose detailed sustainability data. The ESRS mandates that organisations report on their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices, including supply chain impacts and waste reduction initiatives.
- European Chemical Agency (ECHA)
- The ECHA strengthened its regulation of hazardous substances in textiles. Restrictions on harmful dyes, finishes, and other chemicals have been expanded, with the goal of reducing environmental and human health risks.
- Green Claims Directive
- This directive targets misleading environmental claims in marketing. Brands must substantiate any claims related to sustainability with verifiable evidence, ensuring transparency and protecting consumers from greenwashing.
- Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive
- This regulation compels businesses to identify, prevent, and mitigate adverse human rights and environmental impacts throughout their supply chains. It underscores corporate accountability and fosters sustainable practices from raw material sourcing to finished products.
- Waste Shipment Regulation and Waste Framework Directive
- The EU refined its waste management policies, emphasising the reduction of textile waste exports to non-EU countries and promoting local recycling efforts.
- Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation
- This regulation emphasises designing products with sustainability in mind. Textile manufacturers must ensure their products are durable, repairable, and recyclable, contributing to a circular economy.
Therefore, the EU’s policies emphasise supply chain transparency, chemical safety, and circular design. Textile brands and manufacturers within the EU must prioritise compliance with these comprehensive standards, shifting towards greener production processes. In turn, textile brands and manufacturers will need to invest in sustainable technologies – like our Discovery and Endeavour™ – and develop circular economy strategies to remain compliant.
United States: Striving for Accountability
In 2024, the United States introduced and expanded key legislation to tackle sustainability and labour concerns in the textile industry. These policies highlight the growing awareness of environmental and social responsibilities:
- New York Fashion Workers Act
- This act strengthens labour protections for workers in the fashion and textile sectors. It mandates fair wages, safe working conditions, and formalised contracts, addressing long-standing labour issues.
- Maine PFAS Pollution Prevention Act
- Maine’s legislation targets per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often referred to as "forever chemicals." The law restricts the use of PFAS in textiles, encouraging brands and manufacturers to adopt safer alternatives.
- US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Climate-Related Information
- The SEC’s updated requirements now compel publicly trading companies to disclose climate-related risks and the environmental impact of their operations. For textile brands and manufacturers, this means reporting carbon emissions and sustainability efforts.
- California’s Responsible Textile Recovery Act (SB 707)
- This groundbreaking law introduced extended producer responsibility (EPR) for textiles. Manufacturers and retailers must manage the lifecycle of their products, including take-back programs and recycling initiatives.
Similar to the EU, US policies are aligning with global sustainability goals. Textile brands and manufacturers must ensure transparency in operations and adopt practices that support non-toxic, sustainable materials, material recovery, and chemical compliance.
Brazil: Advancing Circular Economy Principles
Brazil made a notable step forward in 2024 with its National Circular Economy Strategy. This policy framework encourages the local and global textile industry to:
- Promote the reuse and recycling of materials
- Reduce waste generated during production
- Foster innovation in sustainable textile technologies
By prioritising circularity, Brazil’s initiative aims to position the country as a leader in sustainable manufacturing within South America. Consequently, Brazil’s focus on circular economy principles offers opportunities for innovation in recycling and sustainable design. In turn, textile brands and manufacturers are encouraged to explore innovative recycling technologies and adopt resource-efficient practices to align with national goals.
A United Drive Toward Sustainability
The policy advancements of 2024 underscore a global shift towards a more sustainable textile industry. From the EU’s comprehensive sustainability regulations to the US’s emphasis on environmental transparency, and Brazil’s focus on circular economy strategies, each region is making strides toward addressing the sector’s high energy and resource-intensive processes.
Throughout all these policies, textile brands and manufacturers must:
- adapt to regulatory changes (wherever they operate, not just in these selected countries).
- be proactive in investing in sustainable technologies and practices.
- report on ESG factors and supply chain accountability.
- recognise the importance of designing textiles for recyclability and reuse, reducing waste.
- work collectively in partnerships to achieve a sustainable future for the textile industry.
At Alchemie Technology, we are encouraged by these international efforts to bring about positive meaningful environmental change, and we remain committed to supporting the industry’s transition to sustainable practices. As countries worldwide implement policies to drive sustainability, the textile dyeing and finishing industry has a unique opportunity to lead by example. By embracing these changes, the industry can shift from being one of the most polluting sectors in the world to a clean-tech sector. This is what we at Alchemie are aiming to do, with our low-energy, waterless dyeing technologies Discovery and Endeavour™. Together, we can ensure that the textile industry meets the demands of a changing world, and collectively build a more sustainable future for textiles.
Learn more about our technologies at Our Technology.