What is the clothing ecoscore, this labeling that the government wants to make compulsory by 2025 ?

Baptisé “Ecobalyse”, cet outil développé en partenariat avec l'Ademe “permettra aux entreprises et professionnels du secteur d’obtenir facilement et gratuitement le coût environnemental de leur produit. grinvalds/Getty Images

After food, clothes will also have their ecoscore. This display, intended to raise awareness of the ecological impact of purchases, will, after several delays, be put on track this week with the presentation of a first calculation simulator.

French initiative, this new labeling is intended to "enrich" the European harmonized environmental labeling project for textiles with the aim of helping companies in member countries to calculate it.

"The lower the rating, the less environmental impact the garment has"

The clothing ecoscore will take the form of a score " which can range from zero to infinity& quot; which will take into account "all'all environmental costs of the life cycle of a garment" (greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, water consumption, etc.), weighted by "sustainability" of the product, linked to its material, the possibility of repairing or maintaining it easily or even the incentive not to renew it too often, announced the Ministry of Ecological Transition on Wednesday during # 39;a telephone point.

"The lower the rating, the less environmental impact the garment has and therefore the more virtuous it is&amp ;quot;, indicated the ministry which thus wishes to allow consumers "to compare clothes with each other in a simple way" and thus "make them more responsible for their purchases" without making them feel guilty, the price no longer being "the only criterion of choice" available.

Once possibly amended, the textile environmental display should be presented in May as part of a decree, before being put into service "at&#39 ;fall 2024" voluntarily.

What will the 'Ecobalyse" tool be used for? ?

A first tool, a calculation simulator intended for brands called "Ecobalyse" is deployed from this Wednesday, April 3 to professionals for consultations, according to the ministry.

Developed in partnership with Ademe, it "will allow companies and professionals in the sector to easily and free of charge obtain the environmental cost of their product, but also citizens to consult the environmental impacts of the clothes they buy", indicates the government in a press release.

Professionals divided

In France, 3.3 billion items of clothing, shoes and household linen were placed on the market in 2022, compared to 2.8 in 2021. Professionals, NGOs and civil society are calling for regulation of the sector.

In 2023, the Ministry of Ecological Transition indicated on its website that the textile industry generated “more greenhouse gases than international flights and maritime traffic combined , and consumed 4% of the world's drinking water. In 2050, it will represent 26% of greenhouse gases, if consumption and production trends remain similar.

Professionals in the sector appear to be divided, and even before its implementation, environmental labeling is already causing debate. After several experiments in 2022, it was originally supposed to be mandatory this year. Ultimately it should only be "voluntary" and truly implemented at best in the first half of 2025.