Extended Producer Responsibility: a necessary part of the solution to packaging waste and pollution
+100 leading businesses call for EPR for packaging
There are a variety of systems currently in place to collect used clothing and textiles. However, collection rates, and the type of schemes used to collect textiles, vary significantly, both nationally and regionally.
Where collection schemes exist, they are often voluntary, and tend to focus on collecting clothing that is suitable for reusereuseThe repeated use of a product or component for its intended purpose without significant modification., leaving other types of textiles and worn out clothing unaddressed.
Collection, sorting and recycling systems are often fragmented, small scale, and are not always appropriate for the location.
This white paper by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation was written following the announcement by the EU Commission that it would develop harmonised EU Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) rules for textiles, as part of the upcoming revision of the EU Waste Framework Directive.
Harmonised EPR regulations across the EU offer significant economic and environmental benefits. They make reuse and recycling of textile waste more economically viable, diverting textiles from landfill and incineration. Diverting textiles from incineration or landfill and ensuring they are used more, is a significant step to reduce negative environmental impacts linked to pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.But to address the root causes of the current wasteful system, EPR is only one step forward towards a circular economy for textiles. While EPR can help fund the necessary systems and infrastructure to collect and re-circulate products and materials, more action is needed to avoid products being discarded in the first place.
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Ellen MacArthur Foundation perspective on Extended Producer Responsibility for textiles is available in: English
