Textile finishing

The 'BREF Textiles Industry' is the European reference document containing the best available techniques (BAT) for the textiles industry. In other words, this document describes the techniques (inc. emission limits) that textile companies should apply to reduce their environmental impact. Therefore, the BREF Textiles Industry is the reference document for the government in assessing the environmental conditions for textile companies. The existing BREF dated back to 2003 and was therefore in need of some revision. After a revision process of almost four years, the new BAT conclusions for the textile industry were published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 20 December 2022. Within four years of the publication of the new BAT conclusions at the latest, companies must comply with these new provisions. In the entire preparation process, Fedustria and Centexbel have collaborated intensively and constructively.

Partly as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, energy prices saw an unprecedented rise in 2022. Uncertainty about adequate gas supplies caused energy prices for both natural gas and electricity to explode. Finishers, e.g. textile dyers, are energy-intensive by the very nature of their operations and were therefore faced with these skyrocketing energy costs more than average in the textile industry, which they could not possibly pass on in full. Consequently, certain companies were forced to scale back or temporarily halt their activity.

To imbue textiles with colour and specific properties, chemicals are indispensable. However, the use of chemicals is increasingly restricted in the context of the European REACH. The textile sector is subject to various restrictions. For example, there is the restriction proposal for skin-sensitising substances on textiles. However, not all substances are relevant to the textile sector. The overly extensive list of substances saddles textile companies with unnecessary testing costs. The textile sector therefore is therefore urging for the restriction to be limited to a textile-relevant substance list. Also, new substances can be added only after evaluation of their textile relevance.