The European Union wants to put an end to fast fashion by 2030.

Last week, the European Commission, the executive branch of the EU, announced a proposed expansion of eco-design rules that could one day apply to any product, beginning with textiles. It’s all part of the EU’s efforts to make products in the EU market “more friendly to the environment, circular and energy-efficient throughout their whole lifecycle from the design phase through to daily use, repurposing and end-of-life,” according to a press release from the EU.

“It’s time to end the model of ‘take, make, break, and throw away’ that is so harmful to our planet, our health and our economy,” said Frans Timmermans, executive vice president for the European Green Deal. The EU’s proposals, he added, will ensure that only the most sustainable products be sold in Europe and allow consumers to make smart environmental choices. “This is how we bring balance back in our relationship with nature and reduce our vulnerability to disruptions in global supply chains.”

Under the proposal, the EU would set new standards for how durable and reusable clothing needs to be and would ban the destruction of unsold textiles. Companies would also have to include information about how sustainable and recyclable a clothing item is on its label. All products regulated by the EU would have digital product passports that make it easier to repair or recycle them and facilitate tracking substances of concern along the supply chain.

According to the European Commission, textiles have the fourth-highest impact on the environment and climate change in Europe, after food, housing and mobility. It’s the third-highest area of consumption for water and land use, and the fifth-highest for use of primary raw materials.

Virginijus Sinkevičius, the EU commissioner for the environment, oceans and fisheries, said the EU wants fast fashion out of the fashion business, according to The Guardian: “By 2030, textiles placed on the EU market should be long-lived and recyclable, made to a large extent of recycled fibers.”

The proposals, if they are adopted, could have a big impact on the fashion and textile industry worldwide, since three-quarters of clothing and household textiles used in Europe are imported, according to The Guardian.

Fast fashion, the term for inexpensive apparel made quickly to keep up with rapidly changing trends, has long been criticized by environmentalists for how wasteful it is. Studies have shown that global consumers buy 80 billion new garments each year, and for Americans, at least, 85% of items purchased eventually end up as waste in landfills.

The state of New York is also considering a law which would hold fashion brands accountable for the sustainability of their products, requiring them to disclose plans to “identify, prevent, mitigate and account for how they address” the adverse social and environmental effects of their production process.

Improving sustainability in apparel (as well as the promotional products industry as a whole) is an issue that has been top of mind, and many major suppliers have been stepping up their efforts on those fronts. “Quality, sustainably made product is a positive for our industry and is here to stay,” Jeremy Lott, president and CEO of Top 40 supplier SanMar (asi/84863) said last year.

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