There is significant potential to reduce textile waste and ensure that it creates further value by boosting its preparation for reuse and recycling. Up to 2.1 million tonnes of post-consumer clothing and home textiles are separately collected each year in the EU for recycling or sale on global reuse markets, representing approximately 38% of textiles placed on the EU market. The remaining 62% are thought to be discarded in mixed waste streams.

Making producers responsible for the waste that their products create is essential to decouple textile waste generation from the growth of the sector. Extended producer responsibility (EPR) requirements have proven to be effective in improving separate collection of waste and its subsequent management in line with the waste hierarchy. EPR can incentivise product design that promotes circularity throughout the material life cycle and takes account of the end of products’ life. Several EU Member States already have or are considering the introduction of EPR requirements for textiles, given the obligation under EU waste legislation to establish separate collection of textile waste by 1 January 2025.

In this context, the Commission will propose harmonised EU extended producer responsibility rules for textiles with eco-modulation of fees, as part of the forthcoming revision of the Waste Framework Directive in 2023. The key objective will be to create an economy for collection, sorting, reuse, preparation for reuse and recycling, as well as incentives for producers and brands to ensure that their products are designed in respect of circularity principles. To that end and subject to an impact assessment, the Commission will propose that a notable share of contributions made to EPR schemes will  be dedicated to waste prevention measures and preparing for reuse.

The Commission will also consider requiring that separately collected textile waste from households and similar waste is  prepared for reuse  as a necessary first step, which will boost preparing for reuse, reuse and repair activities and reduce the volumes for types of waste treatment that are lower in the waste hierarchy.

The Commission will closely monitor the developments in textile waste generation, composition and treatment. The Commission has also launched a dedicated study with a view to proposing mandatory targets for preparing for re-use and recycling of textile waste as part of the review of the EU waste legislation foreseen for 2024.

Source: European Comission

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