Minister Dillon welcomes EU Waste Directive targeting fast fashion and food waste
- Published on: 23 October 2025
- Last updated on: 23 October 2025
New measures seen as vital to sustainability, climate action, and Ireland's circular economy transition
Minister of State at the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment with special responsibility for the Circular Economy, Alan Dillon, has welcomed the revised EU Waste Framework Directive aimed at reducing food and textile waste, which has come into force.
The food and textile sectors are both resource intensive, and systemic solutions are required to reduce the environmental and climate impacts associated with food and textile waste generation. The revised Waste Framework Directive sets binding food waste reduction targets to be achieved at national level by 2030. It also introduces measures to establish a more sustainable textile sector.
Minister Dillon said:
"Tackling food and textile waste is a key step that we can take to achieve sustainability, to help combat climate change, and to support the transition to a circular economy. The entry into force of this revised Directive marks a significant milestone that will accelerate efforts to achieve these objectives.
"In relation to food waste, my department will soon prepare the next iteration of Ireland’s National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap and the revised Directive will be particularly important in shaping a number of the key actions in the roadmap. I look forward to consulting with key stakeholders on the next roadmap prior to its publication in 2026.
"In addition, my department is developing a National Policy Statement and Roadmap on Circular Textiles to achieve a circular economy and has also begun work on a Roadmap for a Textiles Extended Producer Responsibility. This will be available for stakeholder consultation early next year.
"I believe that the revised Directive, backed up with our policy approach, will be a gamechanger in helping to reduce food waste, curb fast fashion trends, boost the reuse and recycling of textiles, and reduce the environmental footprint of food waste generation and the textile sector."
ENDS
Notes to the Editor
In relation to food waste the revised Directive includes the following binding food waste reduction targets to be achieved at national level by 2030:
- a reduction of the generation of food waste in processing and manufacturing by 10%, in comparison to the amount of food waste generated as an annual average between 2021 and 2023
- a reduction of the generation of food waste per capita, jointly in retail and other distribution of food, in restaurants and food services and in households, by 30% in comparison to the amount of food waste generated as an annual average between 2021 and 2023
A review of the targets is to be completed by the Commission before the end of 2027, which may result in modifying the targets or extending targets to other stages of the food supply chain, and the consideration of setting new targets beyond 2030.
The revised Directive also lists specific prevention measures to be taken by Member States to reduce food waste, including developing behavioural change interventions, identifying and addressing inefficiencies in the functioning of the food supply chain and supporting cooperation amongst all actors, supporting training and skills development, and encouraging and promoting innovation and technological solutions. There is also a strengthened focus on surplus food donation in the revised Directive.
Textiles
In relation to textiles the revised EU Directive contains wide ranging measures aimed to tackle fast fashion and the environmental degradation caused by textile waste. It contains measures to support the separate collection of textiles and apply the “polluter pays principle” which will make the fashion industry responsible for its textile waste. Plans to create an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Scheme for textiles will support efficient textile collection, sorting, reuse and recycling while incentivising eco-design of textile products. Under this new law, Ireland will be required to have an EPR scheme for textiles established by April 2028.
This revised Directive will facilitate the reduction of environmental and climate impacts of textile and food sectors in the EU, whilst contributing to a more circular and sustainable economy.
The Directive (EU) 2025/1892 amending Directive 2008/98/EC on waste can be viewed on the EUR-Lex website.
Ireland is required to transpose the revised Directive into national law by June 2027.