Sustainable Production
Sustainable product design aims to reduce environmental impacts in the ready-to-wear sector, affecting all stages of the product life cycle (design, production, use and waste management). Designs are expected to extend the life of products and to be recyclable at the end of their life. Sustainable product design is the first step towards becoming a sector that is both environmentally low in impact and socially and economically fair.
Sustainable product design is a design approach that aims to minimize environmental, social and economic impacts throughout the life cycle of a product. The standards to be determined with this approach form the basis of all processes that will follow the design phase. This approach includes considering sustainability principles at all stages, from the selection of the product's raw materials to the production process, the usage phase and finally to waste management.
Designs made of single materials, suitable for upcycling and disassembly, are important in ensuring the circularity of ready-made clothing products. With this perspective, it is aimed to start waste management from the very beginning of the value chain.
Sustainable product design includes the following elements: material selection, energy and resource efficiency, durability and longevity, repairability and reusability, waste management, recycling, product life cycle analysis, consumer awareness, etc. Sustainable product design plays a critical role in achieving sustainability goals such as conserving environmental resources, reducing waste, and improving social well-being. This design approach helps businesses and consumers fulfill their sustainability responsibilities and build a more sustainable future.
The Eco-design for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) is the main regulation in a series of legal regulations created by the European Union (EU) to regulate the design and manufacture of products with the aim of reducing environmental impacts and improving energy efficiency. The Regulation is designed to support the EU's environmental policies and sustainable development goals.
Click for information about the EU Eco-Design Directive.In the ready-made clothing and apparel sector, digital and green production plays a key role in achieving sustainability and efficiency goals. Digital production involves automating, improving and accelerating business processes using advanced production technologies. In addition, increasing digital skills in the existing workforce is an important step for related initiatives. In this way, production processes can be realized with more efficient, less harmful to the environment, sustainable and innovative processes.
Coordinated progress of the apparel and textile sectors in terms of digital and green production is of critical importance. The Sustainable and Circular Textile Strategy emphasizes the importance of areas such as eco-design, fiber development, innovative textile production, repair and reuse, and states that investments should be made in these areas. The same strategy document emphasizes that the development of the necessary skills for green and digital transformation in the apparel and textile sectors is of great importance. In addition, the green transformation and digital transformation have been determined as the "twin transformation strategies" by the European Commission, and it has been stated that the transformation can only be achieved with the unity of these two focuses.
Digital production in ready-made clothing and apparel is a form of production that uses digital technologies and processes compared to traditional production methods. This approach involves the use of computer-based systems and automation in design, cutting, sewing and production processes. This method is evolving as a mandatory application of sustainability to increase efficiency, accelerate product development and reduce costs.
Green production in ready-made clothing is the production methods applied in order to reduce environmental impacts and adopt sustainability principles. This approach aims to minimize the environmental footprint of the ready-made clothing industry, reduce carbon emissions, circularity and more efficient use of resources.
Click here to access information on the Digital Transformation from Design to Production in Ready-to-Wear Clothing Project.Sustainable raw material supply refers to the use of materials – raw materials – that have low environmental impact and are obtained ethically in the ready-made clothing and apparel sector. Sustainable raw material supply studies start with material selection; materials obtained from renewable or recycled sources, consuming less water and energy and producing less waste are preferred. Thus, it is aimed to ensure environmental sustainability issues such as the protection of natural resources, reduction of chemical use, energy and water savings and waste management.
Access to sustainable raw materials is a prerequisite for sustainability in the ready-made clothing and apparel sector. For this reason, it is essential to increase the circularity and sustainability of the textile sector, which has a high environmental impact. Various EU policies and initiatives are aimed at preventing water pollution and chemical waste caused by raw materials, and actions are being taken to ensure raw material sustainability with eco-labels and circular raw materials.
The environmental footprint in textiles is a concept that measures and evaluates the environmental impacts of textile raw materials such as fabrics during production, use and disposal. This footprint is calculated by taking into account various factors such as resources used in production, energy consumption, water use, waste generation and chemical use. The environmental footprint in textiles is considered an important indicator in terms of environmental sustainability and is used to evaluate the environmental performance of the textile product.
With the Commission Regulation 2024/2462, which was published and entered into force in the European Union on 20 September 2024, restrictions were introduced on the use of undecafluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) and PFHxA-related chemical substances within the framework of the REACH Regulation (EU chemical legislation). Accordingly, the restrictions in question include a complete ban on these chemicals in clothing produced for general consumer use as of 10 October 2026 and in other textile products intended for general consumers as of 10 October 2027.
However, medical devices in category III personal protective clothing (PPE) and textiles for the construction sector are exempted from this practice. The European Commission will publish final guidance in November, further explaining which products fall within the scope of this regulation and which do not.
According to the information published by the European Environment Agency on September 17, 2024, it was stated that PFAS substances (a group of chemicals known as persistent organic pollutants) constitute one of the largest sources of pollution in Europe. PFAS substances are widely used in textile-based products such as clothing, carpets and other household items to provide waterproof, oil, dirt and heat protection properties. However, these substances can persist in nature for a long time and are permanent without deterioration. For this reason, they can accumulate at levels that can pose serious risks to human health, animals and the environment.
This new regulation is aimed to contribute to the circular economy by facilitating recycling of textile products. Thanks to the restriction of chemicals containing PFHxA and PFAS, it is expected that less chemical pollution will be encountered in the recycling and reuse processes of textile waste. The entry into force period of the restrictions specified in the regulation varies depending on the area of use, and the transition period is expected to vary between 18 months and 5 years.
For Detailed Information and Documents:
Click for the Regulation Text.
Click for the European Commission Statement.
Click for the European Environment Agency Report.
