60 million tons of food waste and 12.6 million tons of textile waste are produced in the EU every year.

That is far too much! That is why the EU Commission has proposed strengthening the Waste Directive for food and textile waste. This is a good thing, because we need to tackle these problems consistently - however, the proposal does not go far enough for me and my Greens/EFA group; we need to be much more ambitious in order to protect our environment and nature. That's why I recently voted in the Environment Committee to tighten up on food waste and the textile industry.

By 2030, food waste is to be reduced by at least 20% in food processing and production and by 40% per capita in retail, restaurants and private households.

Manufacturers will bear the costs of collecting, sorting and recycling textile waste. In this way, we promote responsible disposal and reuse practices.

Now that the Environment Committee has voted, it is the turn of the entire Parliament. We call on all parliamentary groups to vote in favor of this important law!

Let's work together for a healthier and fairer future! Because one thing is certain: First and foremost, we must avoid waste before we reuse it and only then recycle it. In short, we need a sustainable circular economy!