5 green targets EU countries will (mostly) miss in 2025

Jan. 1 wasn’t only marked by headaches and regrets this year. For EU countries, 2025 also kicked off with a nerve-racking reminder of all the environmental commitments they have to meet under EU law.

On its rocky road to becoming an environmental haven by 2050, the EU has set interim targets to track progress on reducing pollution levels, planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, and restoring nature.

From separate collection of waste to financing biodiversity projects, here are five targets that the bloc’s 27 member countries should be meeting this year (and, for the most part, aren’t).

Textiles
One of the EU’s main sustainability objectives is to reduce the harmful effects of its waste on the environment. To do that, Brussels expects its members to have effective collection systems in place for a growing list of types of waste. Glass, paper, food … you know the drill.

As of Jan. 1, EU countries must also collect garments and fabrics separately. That means those unusable shoes, old jackets and dirty bedsheets can’t go in mainstream trashcans anymore.

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