The overall association textil+mode has presented a concrete model for the national implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR for short) in the textile sector. This is an offer to the legislature to jointly design a functioning EPR implementation in the textile sector, as the communication published on Thursday emphasizes.
The extended producer responsibility at the heart of the proposal is an EU environmental policy instrument that obliges producers and importers to take responsibility for the entire life cycle of their products. This principle is already being successfully applied in areas such as electrical appliances, batteries and packaging. It will now be expanded to include consumer textiles such as clothing, home textiles, shoes and mattresses.
To develop its model, the overall textil+mode association comprehensively evaluated the experiences from existing EPR systems, for example in packaging, batteries and electrical devices. This resulted in a new concept that is particularly designed for efficiency, fairness and practical relevance. The aim is to create a system that not only minimizes bureaucratic effort, but also meets the different needs of manufacturers, collectors and consumers.
The core of textil+mode’s proposal is the establishment of a Joint Manufacturers’ Body (GHS), an independent, non-profit organization that takes on central tasks. This includes, among other things, the registration of manufacturers, market surveillance, quantity clearing and communication with consumers. The GHS is intended to ensure that producers, textile collectors and consumers can benefit from a simple and reliable system.
The model also pays particular attention to the handling of ultra fast fashion, especially low-quality cheap textiles that reach the European market via Asian online platforms. These products are increasingly putting a strain on used clothing collection systems and making recycling more difficult. The GHS should therefore also develop instruments with which those placing such textiles on the market must contribute appropriately to the costs. It cannot be the case that quality manufacturers pay for the disposal of cheap disposable fashion.
“The textile and fashion industry is taking responsibility and delivering a model that reduces bureaucracy, creates legal certainty and maintains the competitiveness of manufacturers,” emphasizes Uwe Mazura, general manager of the overall association. “Manufacturer responsibility does not mean simply paying for the disposal of used textiles. Manufacturer responsibility means advancing the textile circular economy and offering fair solutions that are also efficient and practical.”