Textiles EPR Coming Soon

Textiles EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) is an environmental policy framework that will require businesses placing textile products on the market to take financial and operational responsibility for those products at end of life. Under textiles EPR, producers — including brands, retailers, importers, and manufacturers — will be required to fund the collection, sorting, reuse, and recycling of textile waste. The principle mirrors the existing packaging EPR scheme: the businesses that create the waste bear the cost of managing it, rather than local councils and taxpayers. The EU's revised Waste Framework Directive entered into force on 16 October 2025 with mandatory textiles EPR, and the UK is expected to follow with its own scheme, likely by 2028-2029.

There is no confirmed launch date for UK textiles EPR yet, but the regulatory trajectory is clear. The EU revised Waste Framework Directive entered force in October 2025 with mandatory textiles EPR for all member states by mid-2027. The UK Circular Economy Taskforce is expected to publish its Circular Economy Growth Plan in early 2026, which is anticipated to recommend the introduction of textiles EPR. DEFRA is expected to launch a formal consultation on a UK textiles EPR scheme during 2026-2027, with the scheme itself likely becoming operational between 2028 and 2029. Businesses should use this lead time to prepare their data systems and supply chain processes.

Textiles EPR is expected to affect a broad range of businesses including fashion retailers and brands, online clothing marketplaces, textile importers, manufacturers of clothing and accessories, workwear and uniform suppliers, and home textile producers (bedding, curtains, towels). The exact obligation thresholds — likely based on turnover and/or tonnage placed on market — have not yet been confirmed for the UK. However, the EU model covers any business that makes textiles available on the market for the first time, including through online sales. Both large corporations and SMEs above the threshold will be caught.

While the exact UK fee structure has not been confirmed, the EU framework provides strong indications. Fees are expected to be calculated based on the weight or number of units of textile products placed on the market, with modulation based on eco-design criteria. Products that are more durable, repairable, and recyclable will attract lower fees, while those made from difficult-to-recycle materials or designed for single-season use may face higher charges. WRAP's Textiles Blueprint for the UK recommends a similar modulated fee structure. Fees will fund collection infrastructure, sorting facilities, recycling operations, and consumer awareness campaigns.

The EU's revised Waste Framework Directive entered into force on 16 October 2025 with mandatory textiles EPR, requiring all member states to have operational schemes by mid-2027 with mandatory participation from April 2028. The UK, no longer bound by EU directives post-Brexit, is developing its own approach. The UK Circular Economy Taskforce and WRAP are advising the government, and the UK scheme is expected to share many principles with the EU model — including producer funding for end-of-life management, eco-design incentives, and mandatory reporting — but may differ in thresholds, fee structures, and administration. The UK scheme is expected to launch 1-2 years after the EU schemes become operational.

Charity shops and second-hand sellers are unlikely to be directly obligated under textiles EPR. The obligation is expected to fall on businesses that place new textile products on the market for the first time — meaning the original manufacturer, brand owner, or importer. Charities that receive and resell donated clothing are performing a reuse function, which is actively encouraged by the circular economy framework. However, charity shops may benefit indirectly from textiles EPR through improved collection infrastructure and funding for textile sorting operations. The exact exemptions will be clarified when DEFRA publishes its consultation.

Businesses can take several practical steps today to prepare for textiles EPR. First, audit your textile product ranges and document all materials used, including fibre composition, weight, and country of origin. Second, begin tracking the volumes of textiles you place on the UK market, measured by weight and by number of units. Third, review your supply chain to ensure you can obtain accurate material composition data from suppliers. Fourth, evaluate your product design for durability, repairability, and recyclability — these factors are likely to influence your future EPR fees. Fifth, monitor DEFRA consultation announcements and sign up for industry updates. Sixth, consider how packaging EPR compliance processes you may already have in place can be extended to cover textiles.

It is highly likely that the UK textiles EPR scheme will include exemptions or reduced obligations for small businesses, consistent with the approach taken for packaging EPR. Under packaging EPR, businesses must exceed both a £1 million turnover threshold and a 25-tonne packaging threshold to be obligated. A similar de minimis threshold model is expected for textiles EPR, potentially based on turnover and/or the volume of textiles placed on market. Small producers may face simplified reporting requirements compared to large producers, as is the case with packaging EPR. However, even exempt businesses may want to track their textile volumes proactively, as thresholds can be lowered over time.

Based on the EU Waste Framework Directive and WRAP recommendations, textiles EPR is expected to cover a wide range of products including clothing (all garments for men, women, and children), footwear, accessories (bags, belts, hats, scarves), household textiles (bed linen, towels, curtains, upholstery fabrics), workwear and uniforms, and technical textiles used in industrial applications. The EU definition is intentionally broad to prevent producers from circumventing obligations. Some categories like medical textiles and certain industrial textiles may receive specific treatment or exemptions. The precise product scope for the UK scheme will be defined in the DEFRA consultation.

The EU's Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) requires Digital Product Passports for textile products, working alongside textiles EPR to create a comprehensive sustainability framework. DPPs will contain detailed information about a product's materials, manufacturing processes, repair instructions, and end-of-life recycling guidance. This data directly supports EPR compliance by providing the material composition and recyclability information needed for accurate fee calculation and reporting. While the UK has not yet mandated DPPs, the Circular Economy Taskforce has recommended exploring their adoption. Businesses preparing for textiles EPR should also consider how digital product information systems can serve both DPP and EPR requirements.