It's called
'Make the Label Count'
campaign launched by a new international coalition of organizations to ask the European Commission to
ensure transparent sustainability labels on clothing, complete and accurate.
According to the coalition, the Commission's method of assessing environmental impact - called the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) - is incomplete and risks misleading well-meaning consumers.
"The European Commission launched the PEF in 2013. Since then, we have seen important improvements in research and knowledge of the environmental impacts of the textile industry, which are not included in the current methodology," said Dalena White, co-spokesperson for Make the Label Count and secretary general of the International Wool Textile Organization (IWTO).
"We want consumers to have full visibility into a product's sustainability and, in its current form, PEF does not. We need reliable information on whether clothing is made from renewable and biodegradable materials, whether it is reusable and recyclable, and if they throw microplastics into our ecosystems that pollute food chains - explained White - Only then will we be able to obtain a sustainability label for clothing that provides consumers with credible information that substantiates ecological claims by preventing greenwashing ".
"For years - added Livia Firth, co-spokesperson for the campaign and Creative Director of Eco-Age - we have pushed for better labeling on fashion items. Our industry has an unacceptable impact on the planet and consumers do not want to be complicit in it. ready to contribute to the development of a clear and credible label that reflects the latest science in the field to empower millions of consumers in Europe and beyond ".
