I’m sure you haven’t heard of the term “darning” – as in “I hope that you like darning socks” – in a while. In their interminable war to make peasants conform to preindustrial lifestyles, the Luddites of the European Commission (EC), have found another avenue of attack. (It doesn’t matter what the EU does, because Leftists in America look to the EU as the model for future policies.
The EC published the “EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles” on Wednesday as part of the Green New Deal. It is a framework for bending textile and apparel industries to their will, by completely retooling them within the next eight years.
(“Circular”) is a popular buzzword in jargon that ranks right up there with “sustainable”. It is a way of thinking that reduces the use of single-use products, encourages repair, reuse, and recycling, as well as reduces the environmental impact of the manufacturing process. It sounds great but the devil is always in the details.
Brussels claims that the strategy “sets forth the vision and concrete actions in order to ensure that textile products placed on EU markets by 2030 are long-lived, recyclable, made as much possible from recycled fibers and free of hazardous substances, and respect social rights and the environment.”
That’s all well and good. However, there are certain things society has innovated over time that are healthier, more efficient, and better performing. Textiles are definitely one of them. Performance fabrics are now more fashionable and can improve everyone’s life quality, from both a fashion and fitness perspective. It is easier than ever for people to exercise, while still being dry and comfortable. Plus, fashion is fickle. Modern textiles allow for fast and flexible production of stylish clothes that everyone can afford.
That is impossible!
Frans Timmermans, EC Vice President, says that all textiles should be durable, recyclable, made from recycled fibers, and free of harmful substances. To sell the next round of crushing regulations, he exaggerated that clothes should last more than three washes.
Ioana Popescu, NGO Environmental Coalition on Standards stated that “The Commission seeks a halt to fast fashion by introducing regulations on textiles to use in the European market.”
Fast fashion, the antagonist in the EC’s textiles takeover story, refers to trendy, fun items like the soft, buttery yoga leggings or the cozy teddy bear fleeces. These were essential for many people who had to endure the cold, dark winter.
Fast fashion also refers to apparel brands that are affordable for normal people. The EC’s brilliant minds have everything covered! According to the plan, “Increased durability will allow consumers to wear clothing for long periods of time and support circular business models like reuse, rental and repair and second-hand retail in a way which creates cost-saving opportunities for citizens.”
Thrifting can be fun, but it is not mandatory. It’s another pleasure that Big Left is about destroying.
