As the UK considers extended producer responsibility for textiles, Valpak’s James Beard asks what can we learn from looking across the Channel at a scheme that has been running for more than a decade.
The British are known as a nation of shopkeepers, but it might be more correct to describe us as a nation of shoppers – especially when it comes to clothing. The UK spends more on clothing than any country in the EU, but we also send 336,000 tonnes of it to landfill or energy recovery – and that’s a number the UK government would like to see come down.
In a bid to kerb the impact of fast fashion on clothing waste, it is exploring the idea of adding textiles to the current list of materials covered by extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation, along with packaging, waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and batteries.
France operates the only existing textiles EPR scheme, so a team from Reconomy Group company Valpak headed to Paris in November to find out what a UK EPR scheme for textiles might look like – and, importantly, how businesses should prepare.
France’s EPR scheme has been in place for more than a decade, and Sweden, the Netherlands and Spain are expected to follow their lead next. The European Commission is also due to publish a proposal on EPR for textiles in 2023.
The “producer pays” EPR model means brands or retailers – the producers – are charged a fee to cover the cost of recycling. Often, this includes eco-modulation, a reduction in fees for products that are easy to recycle or that contain recycled content. The end goal is to incentivise design for durability and make products last longer.
The UK has highlighted textiles as the next priority area for EPR. A planned consultation in summer 2022 may have stalled, but, with EU regulations earmarked for 2025, it is unlikely that the UK will delay for long.
France wants to be a global leader in the circular economy.
This might seem like an obvious question, but what exactly are textiles? The EU proposal prioritises products with the highest impact, including personal and household textiles, carpets and mattresses. In France, clothing, shoes and household textiles are all included under the textiles EPR.
France wants to be a global leader in the circular economy. While EPR for textiles and furniture is well established, the country also recently introduced EPR for DIY equipment, gardening equipment and toys. A scheme for chewing gum is currently under discussion too.
The French scheme for textiles places an obligation on any business that places an item onto the market, regardless of tonnage or turnover. To qualify for a preferential rate under eco-modulation, businesses need to prove that their products contain recycled material – either 15% for post-consumer waste or 30% for factory waste.
Since the introduction of unique identification codes for products, registration for compliance has boomed. Online marketplaces, such as Amazon, are held responsible for non-compliant sellers on their sites, so they now ask for proof of compliance as a condition for using their services.
The scheme is geared towards improvement and, every year, funds are diverted to successful research proposals. So far, 28 projects have been launched in France, across four areas: eco-design, closed-loop recycling, open-loop recycling (downsizing of textiles for decorative and industrial uses) and sorting and processing.
However individual nations implement EPR it seems that all schemes result in significant cost rises – and they demand an unprecedented level of data. To prepare for UK packaging EPR, for example, Valpak has expanded its data-reporting systems to allow for a rise from 117 fields of information to more than 600. Under eco-modulation, we expect the requirement to exceed 1,000 fields.
However individual nations implement EPR it seems that all schemes result in significant cost rises.
Textile compliance will be a similar story. Businesses must register with the relevant compliance scheme and central agency, report on items placed on the market and arrange to pay the correct fee.
Assigning the right data to the right field can be time-consuming and confusing, and these challenges will only increase as we see more countries introduce similar legislation. Organisations that prepare early will reap the benefits.
How can EPR for textiles be successful?
EPR’s success requires engagement and innovation in every area of the supply chain. Product designers need to consider the technical limitations of reprocessing technology while, at the same time, scaling up recycling and sortation. Material blends create problems for recycling, while fibres such as elastane make textiles hard to sort.
Research by ReBound – Valpak’s sister company within the Reconomy Group – shows that reuse is the most popular disposal option among members of the public, but exports still play a prominent role. Ensuring that export material is managed responsibly is a challenge, and textile passports are one option under consideration.
ReBound’s donation portal is one way of keeping material in the UK. Used by brands including Cotton Traders and Pretty Lavish, it can also be accessed by members of the public. Donated items are posted to the Salvation Army for reuse and traced at every stage of their journey.
The popularity of rental has also risen, but this can also result in issues for the recycling system.
The popularity of rental has also risen, but this can also result in issues for the recycling system. Under the French model, the highest-quality clothing funds the processing of less-profitable waste streams. Although consumer rental models meet the demands of the hierarchy, recent popularity means that much of this most valuable material is removed from the supply chain, starving the system of funds.
Looking at recyclers across Europe, it’s clear that sortation and recycling will need investment to deal with the volumes of waste textiles currently sent to landfill or recovery. Aside from the technology needed for reprocessing, the pipeline also needs to adapt – very little sorting is currently geared towards fibre type, for example.
For EPR for textiles to succeed, we need a major leap forward in design, reprocessing and local markets. While data collection represents a major challenge for brands, the expertise already exists to guide them. In the meantime, our research into the French model shows that funding research to drive recycling – and communications – may prove essential for building a more sustainable supply chain.
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