Texfor is the Confederation of the Textile Industry, the most representative entity of the Spanish textile sector. It currently brings together more than 4,000 companies, the vast majority of them SMEs, employing over 45,000 workers and generating an annual wealth of more than €5 billion. A key organization in accelerating circularity in the textile industry. We spoke about this with its Head of Sustainability, David Allo.
– David, is the Spanish textile industry ready for circularity?
Absolutely. In fact, we are international leaders in sustainability. The Spanish textile industry has always been characterized by high resource efficiency (water, waste, chemicals, energy, residues, etc.), which has made us, almost unintentionally, pioneers in the field. Furthermore, European legislation is the most demanding in these matters, so not only do we comply with it, but we also have certifications to prove it.
The biggest challenge in this entire legislative transition is ensuring the coherence of legislation. And, of course, ensuring that market control allows us to capitalize on the investment required to comply with it.
“In Spain, we are international leaders in sustainability.”
– Let’s break it down. What do you mean by legislative coherence?
The European Ecodesign Regulation establishes a series of requirements that new products, including textiles, will have to meet, such as incorporating a percentage of recycled materials or certain ecodesign criteria, like using monomaterial fabrics. But the sustainability of a textile product is much more complex and depends on the product category and its intended use.
– Can you give an example to help us understand?
Workwear and even sportswear are very illustrative examples. To ensure durability and meet the technical requirements for which they were designed, it is often necessary to forego monomaterial fabrics and recycled raw materials. These two practices are considered less circular, but in reality, they increase durability and efficiency. If dichotomies like these are not well explained, legislation itself can become a tool for greenwashing.
“Legislation itself can become a tool for greenwashing.”
– How can legislation be more coherent?
It will be necessary, and in fact, it is already happening, to study the textile sector in great detail and consider all its complexities. Each product category and material should be analyzed separately, setting different requirements for each.
But it’s not just about legislation; it’s also about citizen education.
Returning to the previous example: a lot of clothing designed for sports is being used for daily wear and subjected to far more washes than it was intended for. This results in inappropriate wear and tear on materials that required significant natural resources. In some cases, it also leads to the release of many microplastics. The garment was designed with sustainability in mind, but its actual use is not appropriate.
“It’s not just about legislation; it’s also about citizen education.”
– We have very little textile culture.
Very little. And it’s a shame, especially because many regions of Spain have strong ties to textiles, yet the culture surrounding it has been lost. Very few people know the processes behind making a simple T-shirt, which makes both purchasing clothing and taking care of it at home much more difficult. In areas with a strong textile industry, there is more knowledge about how yarn is made, how fabric is woven, and how it is dyed. With this knowledge, it’s easier to understand the sustainability of the sector.
– How can consumers be helped to do better?
By educating from an early age, for example. In fact, one of Texfor’s key activities is training and dissemination—at schools, through specialized courses, and by engaging with the media. One particularly interesting project was Erasmus+ Ecotex, which trained more than 5,550 people.
– Can the industry itself influence consumer behavior?
It already does, by setting an example—though this is not always the most media-friendly approach, it is the most effective. The obsession of Spanish industrialists is to offer the highest quality and durability with maximum energy, water, and chemical efficiency. They do this out of principle, reputation, regulatory compliance, and economic competitiveness.
Another issue is educating consumers on how to use their clothing properly. This is more complicated because the industry is not in direct contact with consumers, and the limited communication resources they have are used to engage with brands, their direct clients. I suppose it will have to be the brands that promote these good practices through their communications with consumers.
“It will have to be the brands that promote these good practices through their communications with consumers.”
– Could the Digital Product Passport be a useful tool?
Of course, it will help a lot, especially by making useful information easily accessible to consumers who are already interested. The challenge is reaching those who are not as engaged.
– France has announced the launch of the “ecoscore,” a label designed to simplify these messages.
Yes, it’s a traffic light system similar to the energy certification label, visually identifying the environmental footprint of textile products. It’s very interesting, and any help is welcome, but we must not forget that the sustainability and circularity of a garment are not limited to its environmental footprint. How it is used at home and its end-of-life disposal are key.
In Southern European markets, the “traffic light” is still the price, although I believe there is a clear trend toward “less is more.”
“The sustainability and circularity of a garment are not limited to its environmental footprint. How it is used at home and its end-of-life disposal are key.”
– At the beginning of the interview, you mentioned that another major challenge in the legislative transition toward circularity is market control and competitiveness. What do you mean by that?
European legislation applies to all products that are to be sold within Europe. The challenge lies in controlling products that come from outside. Currently, customs control is complex to manage, as evidenced by the REACH 4 textiles (*) project.
The fear of the Spanish and European industrial sector is the gap between what is legislated and what can actually be controlled, as well as environmental and social dumping. Significant investments are being made to comply with regulations and further increase circularity, but the difficulty lies in ensuring that the market values this excellence.
Europe is facing a very complex situation in terms of competitiveness due to the lack of recognition of environmental variables (decarbonization, water efficiency, chemical management, elimination of hazardous chemicals, etc.). All of these require resources, and not even the public administrations that draft the regulations apply their own rules consistently in public procurement.
“The fear of the Spanish and European industrial sector is the gap between what is legislated and what can actually be controlled.”
– In this regard, what strategies are Spanish industrialists implementing to minimize waste generation and promote recycling throughout the supply chain?
As I mentioned before, this has always been done. Some spinning mills work exclusively with regenerated yarns, reusing not only raw materials but also the original dye. Some companies have started using bio-based dyes to replace conventional chemicals. And, of course, many factories are advancing rapidly toward decarbonization by installing photovoltaic panels, achieving near-total water reuse, and improving solid waste management through industrial symbiosis.
Recently, at Texfor, we conducted specialized training on textile recycling, analyzing successful cases and the most advanced technologies currently in use, as well as short- and medium-term innovation possibilities. We are also conducting activities focused on decarbonization, chemistry, and more.
– Is the industry also embracing new business models based on circularity?
It’s in their DNA, driven by competitiveness. Right now, they are immersed in digitalization and leading the way in Industry 4.0, as well as forming exciting partnerships with startups created for this purpose, such as Recovo, which finds new uses for unsold fabrics; Circoolar and Deleite Wear, which promote textile servitization; and companies that explore industrial symbiosis and new applications for waste, like Insertega or even Moda-Re.
(*) REACH 4 textiles is a program by Euratex that promotes fair and effective market surveillance of textile products, with the goal of keeping non-compliant products out of the EU single market.
This interview is part of a discussion space driven by Girbau LAB and So Good So Cute, aiming to generate reflection and shed light on essential aspects of circularity in the textile industry. See other published articles.
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