The European Union's Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) is facing pressure for revision, but ten industry associations representing textile and nonwoven sectors have publicly opposed such a move. They argue that reopening the legislation at this stage would create unnecessary legal uncertainty across the entire supply chain without sufficient factual justification.
The signatories include EDANA for nonwovens and Euratex for textiles, covering multiple stages from raw materials to end products. In a joint statement, these associations emphasized that the current text already provides a clear compliance pathway for businesses, and any hasty revision would disrupt ongoing investment and transformation plans.
Background
Since its adoption in 2019, the SUPD has imposed strict restrictions on plastic products in the EU market, including single-use cutlery, straws, and stirrers. However, the directive also touches certain textile categories, such as wet wipes, hygiene products, and some nonwoven items containing plastic components. With the EU's growing focus on microplastic pollution and circular economy goals, some environmental groups have called for expanding the SUPD's scope to include more textile products containing plastic fibers.
Yet the industry's stance reveals a strong demand for regulatory predictability. Euratex pointed out in its statement that textile companies are already facing multiple pressures from sustainability regulations—from chemical management to waste recycling and supply chain transparency. If the SUPD is revised without thorough scientific assessment, companies would struggle to simultaneously manage multiple regulatory changes, potentially driving up compliance costs sharply.
Industry Impact
For the textile sector, the stability of the SUPD directly affects the market landscape for nonwovens and functional fabrics. Nonwovens are widely used in medical, hygiene, and cleaning applications, many of which fall under SUPD regulation due to their plastic fiber content (e.g., polypropylene). If the directive's scope is expanded, manufacturers using these materials may need to redesign product formulations, affecting cost structures and supply chain stability.
From a broader perspective, this controversy highlights a deep tension in the EU textile industry's green transition: policymakers want stricter regulations to drive plastic reduction and circularity, while companies need a stable policy environment to plan long-term investments. The associations' call essentially reminds EU institutions that sustainability cannot come at the expense of industrial competitiveness.
It is worth noting that this stance is not against environmental protection per se. Both EDANA and Euratex support the SUPD's overall objectives but insist that any revision must be based on sufficient data and impact assessments, not political pressure or public sentiment. This means that in the coming months, before deciding whether to initiate a revision process, the European Commission may need to commission a dedicated study evaluating the actual impact of expanding the SUPD's scope on the textile supply chain.