Policymakers develop strategies to achieve their political goals. For example, the EU’s Green Deal included a Circular Economy Action Plan. To support the textile industry in contributing to the EU’s circular ambitions, the Commission created a Strategy for Circular and Sustainable Textiles. Out the back of this strategy comes the many legislations that apparel and footwear companies must navigate today Why is this important? It is because thinking about each legislation in individually can lead to siloes compliance approaches. We encourage companies to look horizontally across their compliance obligations to find harmonised approaches to the data management and processes they need to build.
Therefore, we group legislations into topics:
One of the biggest headaches is the push for greater transparency. Companies are expected to track and report on their environmental and social impact in much more detail than before. For larger brands, this means ramping up data collection across their entire supply chain—an expensive and time-consuming task. Smaller businesses, while facing slightly looser requirements, still struggle with the administrative burden of compliance, especially when they lack dedicated sustainability teams.
Supply chain responsibility is another major pain point. Fashion companies are no longer just accountable for their own operations but must also ensure ethical and sustainable practices among their suppliers. This means increased audits, risk assessments, and due diligence—processes that can be both costly and difficult to enforce, especially when working with complex global supply chains. Many brands now face tough decisions about whether to cut ties with certain suppliers or invest in costly improvements.
Waste management is also becoming a growing challenge. With the EU cracking down on textile waste, brands—particularly those in fast fashion—are being held responsible for what happens to their products after sale. Companies must now contribute financially to waste collection and recycling programs while also rethinking product design to meet sustainability targets. For businesses built on rapid production and turnover, this represents a fundamental shift that threatens profit margins and existing business models.
Keeping up with the growing web of sustainability regulations in the fashion industry is a major challenge. Laws differ by country and region, deadlines shift, and new requirements emerge regularly. While the EU has softened some of its initial proposals to reduce the regulatory burden, the overall direction is clear. Brands that fail to adapt risk facing fines, reputational damage, and losing access to one of the world’s biggest fashion markets.
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By organising sustainability laws into these practical categories, fashion brands and manufacturers can approach compliance in a structured way, ensuring they stay ahead of regulations without getting lost in the details.
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