9 December 2025
Erik Toenhake from Aarden calls for fair fashion and bold policy in Arnhem
- Greenwashing
- Press
“My name is Niki de Schryver, and I am an expert in fashion and the sustainable fashion sector, ranging from supply chain to omni-channel e‑commerce. From 2010 to 2012, I was the business developer for Honest By, the world’s first 100% transparent and traceable luxury fashion brand. This strategic move was described as industry-changing by international publications including the New York Times, Financial Times, and Vogue.
I am also the founder of COSH!, a platform that has been supporting small independent entrepreneurs and pioneers of sustainable fashion since 2018. Today, we represent more than 1,000 local entrepreneurs in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, a network that is committed to systemic change in the fashion industry on a daily basis. We do this by bringing together four stakeholder groups in a single platform and collecting data from these stakeholder groups:
- Data from brands and their supply chains
- Data from shops, their actions and sustainable choices regarding, for example, the PWFD (Packaging Waste Framework Directive)
- Data from consumers and the actual number of times their garments are worn
- And urban data on retail and the evolution thereof.
Each of these four stakeholder groups will gain insights into the current status of their brand, shop and/or consumer behaviour and will gradually receive information so that they can purchase, make decisions and/or prevent waste in a more sustainable way by focusing on more local circular choices.
I speak here from two perspectives: that of the expert, and that of hundreds of entrepreneurs who want to keep their city liveable, fair and future-proof.
1. Arnhem is realising an enormous circular ambition, but fast fashion is at odds with this
Arnhem’s Circularity Scan shows that 83% of the city’s CO₂ emissions come from material use, not energy. Textiles are one of the biggest contributors to this: 26 kilotonnes of CO₂ emissions per year from clothing consumption alone. This is comparable to the emissions of thousands of households.
Globally, clothing production and sales are increasing, while the number of times the same items are worn is continuously decreasing. This is a consequence of aggressive marketing techniques that
- The EU estimates the annual textile waste mountain at ±12.6 million tonnes; here too, approximately 1% is recycled into new fibres/garments.
- The Ellen MacArthur Foundation and recent EU reports still indicate that less than 1% of all clothing is recycled fibre-to-fibre into new clothing.
Fast fashion, clothing that is worn on average only 2 to 7 times, ends up in the Arnhem waste chain, where it has no circular value. Textiles are one of the waste streams that cannot be recycled to a high standard and mainly end up being incinerated or processed into low-value products.
This puts a strain on the collection processes, the sorting process and ultimately the taxpayer.
According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), the average European consumes 19 kg of textiles per person per year. Extrapolated to the Arnhem area, this concerns 165,766 Arnhem residents (source: CBS, 2024), meaning that Arnhem consumes approximately 3.15 million kilograms of new textiles annually. (Important detail: this does not include the processing of clothing surpluses that remain unsold in shops even after the sales period. On average, this amounts to 30% of what was produced. We can therefore assume that there is actually 30% more waste, or 4.1 million kilograms of textiles).
Moreover, according to its Circular Implementation Agenda 2024 – 2026, Arnhem is investing heavily in waste reduction, reuse, repair and sustainable shopping streets. But as long as fast fashion advertising continues to circulate, this is like trying to bail out a sinking ship.
WRAP and other sources show that extending the life of clothing by 9 months already reduces CO₂, water and waste by ~20 – 30%. Design-for-longevity studies estimate that doubling the lifespan can reduce the environmental impact by approximately 44 – 49%.
Let’s say: ±45% emission reduction when doubling the number of times an item is worn.
"If you apply the EEA figures to Arnhem, we arrive at <strong>approximately 3,150 tonnes of textiles</strong> <strong>per year</strong>, accounting for over <strong>58 kilotonnes of CO₂ emissions</strong>. Fast fashion means that a large part of this ends up as waste <strong>after 2 to 7 wears</strong>. That is about <strong>8.5 tonnes of textiles per day,</strong> which ties in nicely with the <strong>7,000 kilograms of textiles</strong> <strong>per day</strong> that the municipality already measures in its residual waste. By wearing clothes <strong>twice as long</strong>, we can<strong> reduce Arnhem's textile footprint by almost half</strong>: from approximately <strong>59 kilotonnes to around 32 kilotonnes of CO₂ per year</strong>, while also avoiding <strong>more than 1,500 tonnes of textile waste per year.”</strong> Niki de Schryver
Allowing fast fashion advertising in public spaces runs counter to this. It tempts people to buy products they don’t really need, as most people don’t wear 80% of what they have in their wardrobes.
2. Fast fashion also poses a risk to public health and safety.
Platforms such as Shein, Temu and other ultra-fast fashion players demonstrably violate European standards on:
- REACH chemicals legislation
(excessive concentrations of carcinogens, heavy metals and endocrine disruptors) - Safety standards for children
(cords, loose parts, toxic dyes)
Local authorities are obliged to protect citizens from products that are harmful to health and safety. A ban on advertising fast fashion is directly in line with this responsibility.
3. Local sustainable entrepreneurs do contribute to Arnhem: economically, socially and spatially
The entrepreneurs represented by COSH!
- pay local VAT, corporation tax and personnel costs,
- enhance the streetscape,
- and ensure a lively, attractive city centre that attracts visitors.
On the other hand, there is unfair competition from ultra-fast fashion players who:
- do not create local value,
- siphon off all profits abroad,
- use unfair and inhumane practices in production,
- and cause public costs for waste processing, enforcement and environmental damage.
Arnhem’s goal is to stimulate circular entrepreneurship, which is clearly described in the implementation agenda. An advertising ban supports this policy line.
4. The advertising ban is fully in line with European legislation: ESPR
The new European Sustainable Product Regulation (ESPR) will soon require clothing companies to:
- Products must last longer and be easier to reuse, upgrade and repair.
- Maintenance and refurbishment must be simplified.
- Products must become more energy and resource efficient.
- Harmful or circularity-impeding substances must be restricted or banned.
- More recycled material must be used in products.
- Products must be easier to disassemble, remanufacture and recycle.
- Rules will be introduced for the CO₂ emissions and environmental footprint of products.
- The amount of waste generated by products must be reduced.
- Transparent information on sustainability must be made available, for example via the digital product passport.
Fast fashion players systematically fail to comply with this. Like the Italian proposal to launch an A‑E eco-score and impose advertising restrictions and additional taxes, the COSH! index also takes the following parameters into account:
- Ethical Working Conditions
- Planetary Impact, including material assessment
- Circularity (in line with ESPR)
- Supply Chain Distance
- Animal Well-Being
- Slow Fashion Principles, including the actual duration of service
- Transparency and Traceability
Conclusion
According to its policy documents, Arnhem wants to be a circular city, with less waste, less CO₂ and more local value creation. Fast fashion is completely at odds with this.
An advertising ban means choosing:
- prevention of health damage,
- protection of residents,
- support for local sustainable entrepreneurs,
- reduction of waste costs,
- compliance with EU legislation,
- and a logical step within your own circular strategy.
That is why, on behalf of 800 sustainable entrepreneurs, I ask you to adopt the advertising ban on fast fashion, so that Arnhem does not undermine its circular ambitions, but fulfils them.”
