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The BRC have set out its "Governing Principles" for a UK Textile Extended Producer Responsibility scheme, which we hope will inform government thinking as they develop new policies for textile waste management. Below we set out our scheme ambitions.

A Textile EPR scheme must be designed to:

  1. Deliver the collection, sorting, preparation for re-use, re-use and recycling of textiles in the UK, including increasing UK capacity to prepare fibres for recycling (Fiber sorting and removing contamination).
  1. Finance the full cost-recovery of textile waste management, the research and innovation in recycling technologies (particularly fibre-to-fibre recycling) and the building of UK infrastructure to deliver textile waste management. There should also be consideration as to whether EPR contributions and the ambitions of the scheme should be extended to address overseas re-use and recycling.
  2. Incentivise circular design and business models through the application of tEPR fees

A Textile EPR scheme must:

  1. Be industry-designed – Government must work with industry to build a cost-effective system that promotes a circular economy where materials are recycled, only to be reused as future recyclable materials.
  2. Involve all companies and organisations along the value chain – Including producers, distributors, charities and online platforms, including SMEs to prevent loopholes and ensure fair coverage of the EPR obligation.
  3. Be cost-effective for households and businesses – Government must ringfence tEPR payments to stimulate operation and investment in the recycling system in the UK. Government must also consider how textile EPR interacts with other EPR schemes and collection drives, such as WEEE and packaging, and its impact on retailers.
  4. Align with international tEPR schemes – Government must ensure harmonised reporting requirements for businesses to avoid duplicated efforts.
  5. Establish a clear and phased plan for delivery – Government must take a phased approach to the products in scope of tEPR fees and review how fees are applied according to the recycling technologies available (i.e. durability first, recyclability second).