Japan eases dress codes amid extreme heat while Dutch fashion recycling rules fall short

As climate pressures grow, nations are adapting both workplace policies and environmental oversight. In Japan, rising summer temperatures exceeding 33 degrees Celsius have driven companies to relax strict corporate dress codes. Tokyo businesses are encouraging staff to swap dark suits and formal leather shoes for sun protection and lighter attire to mitigate heatstroke risks.

Concurrently, European regulatory efforts to curb textile waste face implementation hurdles. In the Netherlands, extended producer responsibility laws designed to compel fashion brands toward circularity have delivered negligible environmental gains. Observers report that government reliance on industry self-regulation enables fast-fashion manufacturers to fulfill legal obligations by paying minimal fee surcharges per garment rather than reducing production volume or investing in durable materials.

Sources: NOS (Nederlandse Omroep Stichting), NRC