What EPR means for clothing
Extended producer responsibility, or EPR, makes the company that puts a product on a market contribute to what happens when it is thrown away. For clothing, that usually means registering with a scheme, reporting what you sell and paying fees that fund collection, sorting, reuse and recycling.
Where it already applies
National schemes came first, and they differ in detail.
- France: textile EPR has applied since 2007 through an approved eco organisation, with fees linked to products placed on the market.
- The Netherlands: EPR for textiles started in 2023, with targets for reuse and recycling.
- Other member states: several have announced or begun national schemes. Check each country you sell into.
What is changing across the EU
The EU has adopted a revision of its waste rules that requires every member state to run extended producer responsibility schemes for textiles, with a transition period for schemes to be set up. Separately, the EU's ecodesign framework is expected to bring product requirements and a digital product passport for textiles in the coming years. Exact dates depend on implementing rules, so track the official timetable.
Who counts as the producer
In most schemes the producer is the company that first makes the product available on that country's market, usually the brand or the importer. An overseas manufacturer is rarely the producer for EPR purposes, but its data is what makes accurate reporting possible.
What to ask your manufacturer for
Reporting is much easier when this data is recorded once, during development.
- Fibre composition per style, as it appears on the label.
- Finished garment weight per size, or an average per style.
- Packaging materials and weights per unit.
- Units shipped per style and per destination country.
How TextileWays supports it
Composition, weight and packaging details are recorded in the specification for every style, so the figures you report match what was actually made. Registration and reporting remain the responsibility of the producer in each market.
