This summary report explores the achievements of the four year ECAP (European Clothing Action Plan) project, part funded by EU LIFE.
Key points
- Pilots with retailers and brands across Europe show the potential economic and environmental savings businesses can achieve through greater sustainable practices.
- Partnerships and collaborations created across countries continue to deliver savings in carbon, water and reduced textile waste.
- ECAP helps to inform and support EU policy on sustainable clothing.
The project set out to bring environmental and economic benefit to the clothing sector through a range of work packages co-funded and delivered by European partners. It covered a range of innovation projects, conducted through eight work streams by partners in several European countries.
This report signposts valuable resources including new guidance, white papers and key learnings which are available to inspire and inform any business or government, in any country.
Highlights:
- Danish Fashion Institute (now Global Fashion Agenda) created the Design for Longevity platform in collaboration with designers and product developers across Europe.
- The #LoveNotLandfill behavioural change campaign, led by the London Waste and Recycling Board (LWARB), focussed on young Londoners interested in fast fashion through multiple communications channels.
- WRAP surveyed clothing-related behaviour in Denmark, Germany, Italy and The Netherlands to inform consumer initiatives to influence buying, care/repair and disposal behaviours to prolong garment life and divert clothing from landfill.
What’s next?
The impact of ECAP will continue after the project finishes, with retailer sustainable fibre strategies and consumer facing campaign activities continuing, providing savings across carbon, water and waste well into the future.
Partnerships and collaborations created across countries, and on-going retailer and brand sustainable fibre strategies and consumer campaigns, continue to deliver savings in carbon, water and reduced textile waste. ECAP’s legacy also helps inform and support EU policy on sustainable clothing.
The ECAP programme ran from September 2015 to December 2019 and was a team effort coordinated and managed by WRAP, which also led on European consumer engagement.
Dutch government agency Rijkswaterstaat led Public Procurement, Collections and Fibre-2-Fibre Recovery actions.
The London Waste and Recycling Board (LWARB) led action to engage young consumers in London, and the Danish Fashion Institute, which become Global Fashion Agenda in May 2018, orchestrated the development of the Design for Longevity platform. MADE-BY led the actions on fibre strategies and manufacturing processes until November 2018.
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