India and Europe push circular economy to cut textile waste

On 9 February 2026, the European Commission banned the destruction of unsold textiles under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), marking a major step toward a circular economy. The move aims to reduce waste, cut CO2 emissions, and push companies toward resale, reuse, and remanufacturing instead of dumping excess stock.

At the same time, India has updated its Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, making four-stream waste segregation mandatory and integrating circular economy principles into national policy. With the textile sector contributing significantly to India’s GDP, and to municipal waste, the new rules could reshape how textile waste is handled.