On 9 September 2025, France officially introduced, through the publication of two legislative measures — a Décret (Decree) and an Arrêté (Ministerial Order) — the new tool of the Environmental Cost of Textiles (Coût environnemental des produits textiles), provided for under the Loi Climat et Résilience.
Entry into force: 1 October 2025, on a voluntary basis, for producers, importers, and distributors of textile articles placed on the French market. Operators will be required to calculate and disclose the environmental cost through the Ecobalyse portal, following the methodologies defined in the Arrêté.
Calculation Methods
The calculation of the environmental cost is based on:
16 environmental indicators defined by the European Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) method, including water use, land-use change, ozone layer depletion, and energy consumption.
2 additional categories introduced by France:
Microfiber emissions, to capture the impact of synthetic textiles.
Extra-EU exports, to penalize the export of textile products as waste.
Products Covered
As established by Article 1 of the Arrêté, the scope of application follows Regulation (EU) No. 1007/2011, which governs textile fiber names and composition labeling.
Excluded categories include, among others:
Home textiles and non-apparel fabrics.
Disposable products.
Garments containing electronic components.
Products in which more than 20% of the mass consists of materials not modeled in the methodology.
Consumer Communication
The environmental cost must be expressed in “impact points” per 100 g of product and displayed using a standardized pictogram that must be:
Always available at the time of purchase (in-store or online).
At least equivalent in size to:
the price;
any other environmental impact score voluntarily communicated on the same product.
Updated no more than every three months.
Key Dates
1 October 2025 → entry into force, voluntary application.
1 October 2026 → if an operator does not disclose the environmental cost, third parties will be allowed to calculate it using available data.
From 1 October 2026 → anyone voluntarily communicating other environmental indicators for a textile product must also include the environmental cost.
The French measure represents a pioneering step in environmental transparency for the textile sector and introduces a framework that could serve as a model for future developments at the European level.
Explore the full analysis in our dedicated White Paper on the Environmental Cost of Textiles.
Dowload the White Paper.
Do you have questions or want to understand how this regulation will impact your products? Contact us.