The Just Fashion project webinar series, organised by The Centre for Sustainable Design® at University for the Creative Arts in association with The British Standards Institution (BSI), provided Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the fashion and clothing sectors with critical information on navigating the complex shift towards a circular economy and the new European Union (EU)’s regulatory landscape.
The first webinar provided context on several critical, interconnected EU policies, including the Ecodesign for Sustainable Product Regulation (ESPR), Waste Framework Directive and its mandates for Extended Producer Responsibility for textiles across Member States, as well as the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive and the Green Claims Directive. It also gave an overview of the Textile Labeling Regulation and the Waste Shipment Regulation. Finally, the webinar gave an update on the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive.
The second webinar focused on the ESPR’s key components, which include mandatory ecodesign requirements for textiles, the ban on the destruction of unsold goods, susbtances of concern, Digital Product Passport (DPP) and the Green Public Procurement.
The third webinar focused on the DPP. The sessions explained that the DPP will act as a digital ‘ID card’ for products, storing verified information about sustainability performance, composition, and supply chain transparency. SMEs were advised that they need to prepare to collect and digitise specific data elements to ensure future compliance and market access.
All sessions, with input from BSI, highlighted how international (ISO) and European (CEN) standards are being developed to support regulatory compliance. Standards are essential for defining technical requirements (like durability and recyclability) and structuring the data needed for the DPP (e.g., CEN/CLC/JTC 24 and various ISO/IEEE initiatives). An Action Checklist has been produced for MSMEs to help to prepare for future regulations highlighting actions that companies should consider.
The series achieved a strong attendance rate, with 31.82% of SMEs participating.
