👗 Textile & Apparel Passport - Complete EU Compliance Guide

EU Requirements:

• • Brand name as displayed on product label
• • Manufacturer: Full legal entity name and registered address
• • EU Responsible Person: Name, address, email, phone (if non-EU manufacturer)
• • EORI number (Economic Operator Registration and Identification)

Example:

Brand: H&M | Manufacturer: Hennes & Mauritz GBC AB, Stockholm, Sweden | EORI: SE123456789012

EU Requirements:

• • GTIN-13 (EAN-13) registered with GS1
• • SKU: Internal product code including color/size variant
• • Serialization: Unique identifier per garment (SGTIN preferred)
• • GS1 Digital Link format for QR encoding

Example:

GTIN: 5701234567898 | SKU: TSH-BLK-M-2026 | Serial: 1234567890123

EU Requirements (Textile Labelling Regulation):

• • All fibers ≥5%: List by descending percentage
• • Fibers <5%: Can be listed as "Other fibres" if <5% each
• • Recycled content: Specify "recycled" prefix (e.g., "recycled polyester")
• • Mixed materials: Separate main fabric, lining, trims, if composition differs
• • Animal materials: Must be explicitly stated

Example (T-Shirt):

Main fabric: 95% Organic Cotton, 5% Elastane

Trim: 100% Recycled Polyester

EU Requirements:

• • Post-consumer recycled: Percentage from consumer waste (e.g., recycled PET bottles, old garments)
• • Pre-consumer recycled: Percentage from production waste
• • Verification: GRS (Global Recycled Standard) or equivalent certification required
• • Minimum targets (expected 2030+): 25% recycled content for synthetic fibers
• • Textile-to-textile recycling prioritized over bottle-to-textile

Example:

Polyester content (50% of garment): 30% post-consumer recycled (PET bottles), 10% pre-consumer

Certification: GRS 4.0 certificate #GRS-12345 from Control Union

EU Requirements:

• • Fiber origin: Country where raw material sourced (cotton, wool, etc.)
• • Spinning: Country where yarn produced
• • Weaving/Knitting: Country where fabric manufactured
• • Dyeing/Finishing: Country where fabric treated
• • Cutting & Sewing (CMT): Country where garment assembled (final "Made in" label)
• • Facility names & addresses (at minimum: city, country)

Example (Cotton T-Shirt):

• Cotton farming: Punjab, India

• Spinning: Gujarat, India (ABC Textiles Ltd.)

• Knitting: Tamil Nadu, India (XYZ Fabrics Pvt. Ltd.)

• Dyeing: Tamil Nadu, India (Same facility)

• Cutting & Sewing: Dhaka, Bangladesh (Fashion Factory Ltd.)

Final Label: Made in Bangladesh

EU Requirements:

• • Standard: Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCR) for apparel & footwear
• • Scope: Cradle-to-gate (raw materials → retail) OR cradle-to-grave (includes use & disposal)
• • Per garment unit (not per kg)
• • Breakdown: Fiber production, textile processing, assembly, transport

Calculation (PEF Methodology):

1. Fiber production: Cotton farming (irrigation, pesticides, fertilizer) = X kg CO₂e/kg fiber

2. Yarn spinning: Energy use = Y kg CO₂e

3. Fabric production (knit/weave): Energy = Z kg CO₂e

4. Dyeing & finishing: Water heating, chemicals = W kg CO₂e

5. Garment assembly: Cutting, sewing = V kg CO₂e

6. Transportation: Freight (air/sea/truck) = U kg CO₂e

Example (Cotton T-Shirt, 150g):

• Fiber production (cotton): 4.2 kg CO₂e

• Textile processing: 2.8 kg CO₂e

• Garment assembly: 0.6 kg CO₂e

• Transportation: 0.4 kg CO₂e

Total PCF: 8.0 kg CO₂e per t-shirt

Verification: PEFCR-compliant LCA by Quantis, Report #2026-TEX-456

EU Requirements:

• • Blue water footprint: Freshwater consumption (liters)
• • Include: Fiber production (irrigation), dyeing, finishing
• • Standard: ISO 14046 (Water Footprint Assessment)

Example (Cotton T-Shirt):

• Cotton growing (irrigation): 2,650 liters

• Textile wet processing (dyeing, finishing): 125 liters

Total: 2,775 liters per t-shirt

EU Requirements:

• • ZDHC MRSL (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals) compliance
• • REACH SVHC disclosure (Substances of Very High Concern >0.1% w/w)
• • Restricted substances: Confirm absence/compliance for banned substances
• • Testing: OEKO-TEX Standard 100 or equivalent certification

Example:

• ZDHC MRSL compliance: Confirmed (Incheck report available)

• REACH SVHC: None detected above 0.1% threshold

• Azo dyes: Not used (confirmed by testing)

• Formaldehyde: <16 ppm (OEKO-TEX Class II compliant)

Certificate: OEKO-TEX Standard 100, Class II, #2024OK0123

EU Requirements:

• • Expected number of wash cycles before degradation
• • Pilling resistance (EN ISO 12945-2 rating: 1-5 scale)
• • Color fastness (EN ISO 105 series): Wash, light, rubbing
• • Dimensional stability (shrinkage % after washing)

Example (Cotton T-Shirt):

• Expected lifetime: 50+ home wash cycles

• Pilling resistance: Grade 4 (slight pilling) per ISO 12945-2

• Color fastness to washing: Grade 4-5 (excellent) per ISO 105-C06

• Shrinkage: <3% after 5 washes (ISO 5077)

EU Requirements:

• • ISO 3758 care labeling symbols (washing, bleaching, drying, ironing, dry cleaning)
• • Optimal care instructions to maximize lifespan
• • Temperature recommendations (°C)
• • Microfiber shedding mitigation (for synthetics): Use washing bag, low temp, full loads

Example:

• Washing: Machine wash cold (30°C max), normal cycle

• Bleaching: Do not bleach

• Drying: Tumble dry low OR line dry (air dry preferred for longevity)

• Ironing: Iron medium heat (150°C max)

• Dry cleaning: Not required

• Special: Wash with similar colors, turn inside out

EU Requirements:

• • Repair instructions: Common repairs (button replacement, small tears, hem adjustments)
• • Spare parts: Buttons, zippers availability (if specialized)
• • Design for repair: Reinforced seams, accessible fasteners
• • Repair services: Brand repair service contact info (if offered)

Example:

• Common repairs: Button reinforcement, hem re-stitching

• Spare buttons: Included with garment

• Brand repair service: Available at www.brand.com/repair or local stores

• DIY repair guide: Download at www.brand.com/care/repair-guide

EU Requirements:

• • Mono-material vs. blended fiber composition
• • Mechanical recyclability: Yes/No/Partial (based on fiber type & blend)
• • Chemical recyclability: Yes/No (for polyester, nylon)
• • Separation ease: Buttons, zippers, trims removable?
• • Target: Textile-to-textile recycling prioritized over downcycling

Example (100% Cotton T-Shirt):

• Mechanical recycling: Yes - 100% cotton can be shredded and re-spun

• Chemical recycling: Not applicable (cotton = mechanical)

• Design for recycling: Minimal trims, easily removable polyester neck label

• Recyclability score: 95% (5% loss in trim removal)

EU Requirements:

• • Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) registration: Confirm membership in national scheme
• • Collection points: In-store take-back, municipal collection sites
• • Separate textile waste collection: Mandatory EU-wide from January 1, 2025
• • Reuse prioritization: Sorting for reuse before recycling

Example:

• EPR registration: Registered with Fashion for Good Foundation (Netherlands)

• In-store take-back: All brand stores accept used garments (any brand, any condition)

• Incentive: €5 voucher for each bag of used clothing returned

• Municipal collection: Participate in local textile bin programs

• Sorting & processing: Partner with Renewcell for textile-to-textile recycling

EU Requirements (Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive):

• • Fair Labor Association (FLA) membership or equivalent
• • Living wage commitment: Confirm payment of living wages (vs. minimum wage)
• • Working hours: Compliance with ILO conventions (max 48 hours/week + 12 overtime)
• • Child labor: Zero tolerance policy + verification
• • Audit reports: SA8000, BSCI, or WRAP certification

Example:

• Certification: Fair Trade Certified (sewing facility)

• Living wage: 100% of workers paid above living wage benchmark

• Audit: BSCI audit (Grade A) from November 2025, next audit Nov 2026

• Transparency: Factory list published at www.brand.com/sustainability/factories

EU Requirements:

• • Wool: Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) or equivalent
• • Down: Responsible Down Standard (RDS) - no live-plucking, no force-feeding
• • Leather: Leather Working Group (LWG) certification
• • Traceability: Farm-to-garment chain of custody

Example (Wool Sweater):

• Wool source: Merino sheep farms, New Zealand

• Certification: RWS certified (Certificate #RWS-123456)

• Animal welfare: No mulesing, humane shearing practices verified