Unveiling the Future of Textile Sustainability: Key Insights into the New PEFCR (Focus on Annex V & Product Scope)

09 Jul 2025

The EU’s final Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCR) for Apparel and Footwear, published May 14, 2025, establish a unified, science-based method for assessing textile environmental impacts

The European Union gave the green light on The final Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCR) for Apparel and Footwear on May 14th, 2025. This move marks a pivotal moment for the textile industry, establishing a unified, science-based methodology for assessing the environmental impact of textile products across their entire lifecycle.

What does this mean for the Textile Industry?

The new PEFCR (Version 3.1) is more than just a set of guidelines; it's a foundational shift towards greater transparency, accountability, and genuine sustainability in the textile sector. Here's a breakdown of the key insights, with a specific focus on Annex V and the product scope:

• A Harmonized Language for Environmental Performance: For years, the textile industry has grappled with a multitude of diverse sustainability metrics and reporting standards. The PEFCR addresses this by providing a single, consistent, and science-based method to measure environmental impacts from raw material extraction to end-of-life. This harmonization will foster greater comparability between products and help combat "greenwashing" by ensuring environmental claims are credible and verifiable.
• Life Cycle Assessment at its Core: The PEFCR leverages the robust Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach, evaluating 16 environmental indicators including climate change, water use, land use, and human health. This comprehensive view allows companies to identify "environmental hotspots" – the life cycle stages (LCS1: Raw materials acquisition and pre-processing, LCS2: Manufacturing, LCS3: Distribution, LCS4: Use and LCS5: End of life) in a product's life cycle with the greatest impact – enabling targeted strategies for improvement.
• Focus on Circularity and Durability (with Annex V in mind): The new rules emphasize crucial aspects of a circular economy, and Annex V specifically details the durability requirements for textile products. This annex provides crucial tables outlining default lifespans for various product categories (e.g., specific number of uses for t-shirts, coats), along with criteria for assessing "basic," "moderate," and "aspirational" durability performance. This directly impacts a product's overall PEF score, incentivizing brands to design for longevity. The PEFCR also incorporates metrics for:
• Recycled content: Encouraging the use of recycled materials in textile production.
• Repairability: Gauging a product's capacity to be repaired, thereby extending its lifespan and reducing waste.
• Circular Footprint Formula (CFF): An updated formula for more accurate calculation of end-of-life impacts and recycled content.
• Addressing Microplastic Pollution: A significant addition is the inclusion of a "fiber fragment impact module." This evaluates the environmental impact of fiber fragment release (e.g., microplastics) during garment care activities like washing and drying, pushing the industry to address this critical concern.
• Stricter Data Requirements and Transparency: Brands will now be required to provide more primary (company-specific) data, such as detailed bills of materials (BOM) and distribution methods, to ensure accurate and transparent environmental assessments. While guidelines for using proxy (secondary) data are provided, the emphasis is on obtaining reliable, direct information.
• Product Scope: A Comprehensive Overview: The PEFCR for Apparel and Footwear applies broadly to a wide range of textile and footwear products. Specifically, the PEFCR covers 13 product categories within apparel and footwear, providing tailored rules for each. This comprehensive scope ensures consistency across the sector. Examples of products included are:
• T-shirts
• Dresses, skirts and jumpsuits
• Boots
• Swimwear
• Jackets and Coats
• And other specific categories, ensuring virtually all general textile and footwear items placed on the EU market fall under these rules.
• Alignment with Broader EU Regulations: The PEFCR is a cornerstone of the EU's broader sustainability agenda. It aligns with and will support compliance with upcoming regulations such as the EU Green Claims Directive and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), making it an essential tool for future market access and competitiveness within the EU.
• Empowering Informed Choices: By providing a standardized environmental footprint, the PEFCR aims to empower both businesses and consumers. Companies can use this data to make informed decisions for sustainable design and production, optimize supply chains, and reduce waste. Consumers, in turn, will be able to make more informed purchasing decisions based on verifiable environmental performance.

What's Next for the Textile Industry?

The publication of the PEFCR signals a clear direction for the textile industry. Businesses must now:

• Familiarize themselves with the PEFCR (Version 3.1) and specifically Annex V: Understand the detailed rules, calculation methodologies, durability requirements, and data requirements for their specific product categories.
• Invest in data collection and management systems: To capture the primary data necessary for accurate PEF calculations, particularly focusing on material composition, manufacturing processes, and anticipated product lifespan as outlined in Annex V.
• Integrate PEFCR principles into product design and development: Focusing on durability, repairability, and the use of recycled content, with clear targets driven by the Annex V guidelines.
• Collaborate across the supply chain: To ensure data transparency and facilitate collective efforts in reducing environmental impacts.
• Prepare for upcoming EU regulations: As the PEFCR will serve as a key methodology for compliance with directives like the Green Claims Directive and ESPR.

The new PEFCR is a call to action for the textile industry to embrace a more sustainable and circular future. By proactively adapting to these rules, companies can not only ensure compliance but also gain a competitive edge in a market increasingly driven by environmental consciousness.

For any questions regarding the new PEFCR, its Annex V, product scope, and implications for your textile business, you may contact Intertek's experts.