On November 28, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, the French Minister for Ecological Transition, presented the latest developments in environmental textile labelling, ahead of a national consultation launched over the next few weeks.
A decree, including an order setting out the method and format of environmental labelling, must first be submitted to the Conseil d’Etat for its opinion, before being voted on by the National Assembly. At the same time, a methodological manual is due to be finalized in the coming months. This notice, the subject of discussions with Ademe and the CGDD, will set out the operational details of environmental labelling.
Sorry, but from now on we’ll have to talk about environmental costs. It will be launched as of April 2025 as part of a supervised voluntary display scheme.
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Environmental cost objective
To provide consumers with clear data on the environmental impact of textile products throughout their life cycle, from design to end-of-life.
How environmental cost is calculated :
- Results in points
- 16 European impact criteria taken into account
- Calculation covers the entire life of the product
- It must be based on the color reference
- Products must not contain more than 20% non-textile materials or electronic components.
The timing of French labelling must now be accelerated
The European textile ESPR was launched in the 3rd quarter of 2024. France, for its part, plans to launch its voluntary environmental labelling scheme in the 2nd quarter of 2025. It is due to become mandatory in 2026.
In 2027, the DPP (Digital Product Passport) will come into force in the European Union.
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Schedule a demoTextile environmental cost versus PEFCR Footwear & Apparel
The French government’s aim is to take a leading position on the subject of environmental textile labelling, and to improve the PEFCR (European environmental labelling scheme). France will serve as a “laboratory” for this textile display.
Summary of environmental cost calculation
- Calculate lifecycle analysis for each color model based on 16 factors
- Apply a sustainability coefficient
- Obtain a score in impact points
Certain data are essential for carrying out an LCA (level 1):
- Product typology
- Product mass
- Product composition (% and type of material)
- Top three countries according to AGEC law
This calculation leads to an approximate result, without any mastery of the value chain. It is, however, the only criteria taken into account for the environmental cost in its initial phase.
Taking into account specific supply chain data, thanks to traceability and product specificities, leads to a more accurate result and enhances the value of eco-design work. We are waiting for confirmation that these level 2 and 3 data can be used to calculate this environmental cost.
Level 1 and 2 LCA data in detail
Level 1
- Printing (None or Pigmentary or Fixed-wash)
- Share of air transport
- Accessories
- Wash-out stage (Yes or No)
- Remanufactured product (Yes or No)
Level 2 (not included in environmental cost)
- Packaging
- Embroidery surface
- Printing surface
- Type of finishing, dyeing, knitting, spinning
- Fabric weight
- Precise country of each step
Durability coefficient details
To obtain the durability coefficient, the following information is required:
- Range width (40% of the coefficient)
- Number of references (max. for one day of the year) in a market segment
- Incentive to repair (40% of coefficient)
- SME or large company
- Price (€ incl. VAT)
- If large company: whether or not the brand has a ReFashion-certified repair service
- Traceability (20% of the coefficient)
- If traceability is displayed directly on the product’s web page (AGEC)
Non-physical durability coefficient value: max: 1.45 -> min: 0.67
Conclusion
2025 will mark the official launch of environmental labelling in France. Although many important details are still being worked out, France is taking an important step forward in this project, with the aim of making a positive contribution to future European regulations.
For its part, FOOTBRIDGE is already calculating environmental scores and global impact measurements in an automated way, for both level 1 and level 2 calculations, in order to make them available on brand portals and mobile apps for consumers.
