Get ready for EPR for textiles

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for textiles places legal and operational responsibility on producers (manufacturers, importers, brand-owners, retailers) to manage the entire lifecycle of textile products (not just until the consumer purchase, but through take-back, recycling, reuse, or disposal. For businesses in fashion, apparel, household textiles or accessories, this means that your sustainability and circular-economy strategy are no longer optional) they are an integral part of compliance and competitive advantage.

Failure to prepare can lead to:

• Penalties or enforcement actions in jurisdictions with active textile-EPR schemes.
• Additional cost burdens (fees, registration, data reporting) which may hit margins.
• Risks to brand reputation as regulators and consumers increasingly expect circular solutions. (Sources: European Commission + RLG)

As the European Commission’s “Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles” shows, textile-EPR is moving from future proposal to imminent reality.

By engaging now and putting systems in place (data management, take-back networks, repair/ reuse) your business can turn EPR from a cost burden into a value driver (e.g., improved design, stronger brand, circular revenue streams).

In the textile sector, EPR means that producers bear responsibility for the end-of-life stage of their products; including take-back, collection, recycling or reuse, and reporting on the volumes and flows of product placed on the market.
In practice this means:

• You must report data metrics on volumes of textiles placed on the market, and often on downstream flows (recycling, reuse, disposal).
• You may be required to establish or participate in take-back or collection schemes, so that used textiles can be recovered.
• You may pay eco-modulated fees (higher or lower depending on product design, sustainability of materials) to fund the waste-management system. (Source: RLG)
• You will likely need to integrate this into your product-design, supply chain and logistics strategy (e.g., repair networks, recycling partners, data systems).
  The key point: the burden shifts upstream to the producer rather than municipalities.

Textile EPR schemes are already live in several jurisdictions, and many more are in legislation or draft stage:

• In Europe: Countries such as France, the Netherlands, Hungary and Latvia already have textile-EPR obligations in place. (Source: RLG)
• In the U.S.: While national federal legislation is not yet fully enacted, several states (e.g., California via the proposed SB 707 bill) are progressing legislation for textiles EPR.

Therefore, if you operate globally (or sell into these jurisdictions) you will likely have an obligation now or soon. It’s crucial to map your product portfolio and geographies and check whether you qualify under the “producer” definition in each region. (Source: RLG)

Complying with textile EPR typically involves several steps:

• Register with a recognised Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) or scheme in each jurisdiction where you are obligated.
• Report data on volumes of textiles placed on the market (by product category, weight/material, etc.) and downstream flows (reuse, recycling, disposal).
• Pay eco-modulated fees, if applicable, based on design, material sustainability and product category.
• Implement or participate in take-back/collection systems, repair networks, and ensure items are routed for reuse or recycling rather than landfill.
• Build or partner with service providers to handle data management, compliance reporting, logistics/collection, repair, and recycling.

The good news: at Reconomy/ReBound we provide a modular, technology-driven all-in-one solution that can manage these obligations for you; from horizon scanning to take-back logistics and repair networks.

• Consumer clothing, footwear and accessories.
• Household textiles such as towels, bed linens, curtains, cushions (in some schemes).
• Workwear, uniforms, possibly bags and leather goods depending on national definitions.

It’s important to check local regulations since definitions and inclusion/exclusion vary

Eco-modulated fees are charges that producers pay under EPR schemes where the fee amount is adjusted (modulated) based on environmental attributes of the product — e.g., design for recyclability, minimal material complexity, use of recycled fibres, repair-friendly design. (Source: RLG)

This incentivises producers to design more circular products, lower waste impact and reduce the cost of downstream material management.

To stay ahead of textile EPR developments and regulatory changes:

• Follow ReBound and Reconomy on LinkedIn.
• Regularly check the Reconomy blog.
• Subscribe to UK-/Europe-based updates.
• For Europe regulatory tracking: European Commission’s “Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles”.
• For North America: Monitor state-level developments (e.g., California SB 707) and specialist compliance-services sites.

Because textile EPR involves multiple, complex components (horizon-scanning legislation, data management/reporting, logistics for take-back, repair/reuse networks, regional variation across geographies) partnering with a specialist allows you to:

• Leverage expert compliance knowledge (keeping up with evolving global regulation).
• Avoid heavy upfront investment in systems and networks.
• Scale regionally as your business grows, without replicating infrastructure.
• Maintain focus on your core business (product, brand, retail) while compliance is handled by specialists like Reconomy and ReBound.