Textiles EPR forum hears UK under pressure to follow EU lead
Fashion brands and retailers have been discussing the practical challenges of extended producer responsibility (EPR) for textiles at the second Global Textile Advisory Forum (GTAF), run by consultancy Reconomy.
The forum looked at how businesses can comply with changing EU rules and move towards more circular management of materials placed on the single market. Legislation introduced by the European Commission last October started a 30-month transition period for setting up EPR mechanisms. These are intended to raise funds to cover the cost of handling products once their original use has ended.
UK pressure to follow
UK authorities are under pressure to move in a similar direction by considering a textiles EPR. They are also being urged to do more to help recyclers build a sustainable system that can cope with global production volumes and the amount of unwanted goods on the market.
Different speeds across Europe
Aimee Campanella, development director of Textiles EPR at Reconomy, said schemes were taking shape across Europe at different speeds. In her words, the question for most businesses is "what that means for them in practice". She added that EPR must help pay for the collection, sorting and recycling infrastructure behind textile circularity.
Attendees reviewed approaches in Italy, Spain, Poland, Ireland and Norway. Reconomy said businesses want greater clarity on implementation timelines, reporting obligations and future compliance expectations, as national schemes carry differing requirements.
Data, funding and unsold goods
- Data quality and how to draw useful information from different national systems, to meet reporting obligations.
- The role of Producer Responsibility Organisations in supporting compliance.
- How sector funding can support collection, sorting, reuse and recycling.
- The evolution of the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and its influence on production and market behaviour.
- Reporting on unsold goods, which can no longer be destroyed under new rules covering the EU and Northern Ireland, introduced this year under ESPR updates.
Reconomy said participants also called for more guidance on textile recycling pathways and end-of-life infrastructure. The next GTAF session is scheduled for the first quarter of 2027.