UK Textiles Pact Releases Industry Blueprint For Textiles EPR Scheme

The UK Textiles Pact has published an industry-developed ten-point Blueprint outlining key recommendations for the design and implementation of a UK Textiles Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme, as the government prepares its forthcoming Circular Economy Growth Plan.

Developed through extensive engagement across the UK textiles value chain, the Blueprint draws on learnings from both established and emerging global textiles EPR schemes to propose a UK-specific model that supports circularity while remaining commercially workable.

Industry representatives warn that without the introduction of a mandatory EPR framework, the UK’s used-textiles sector risks collapse, potentially leading to widespread job losses, increased landfill disposal and an additional £200 million per year cost to local authorities by 2035.

Ahead of the government’s Circular Economy Growth Plan, a cross-industry position statement released in summer 2025 strongly endorsed the introduction of a UK Textiles EPR scheme. The statement was developed collaboratively by WRAP, the British Retail Consortium (BRC), British Fashion Council, UK Fashion and Textiles Association (UKFT) and WEFT, calling for an expert-designed system to stabilise the struggling used-textiles sector and fund innovation across reuse, recycling and circular product design.

Building on this position, the UK Textiles Pact convened stakeholders from across the value chain to define what a progressive, mandatory EPR scheme should look like. While published by WRAP, the Blueprint reflects the collective views of industry and highlights areas requiring further development before implementation.

According to WRAP, the UK’s used-textiles system is under severe strain, with 49 percent of used textiles currently discarded in household waste, equivalent to around 35 items per person each year. Without urgent intervention, the annual cost to local authorities of managing used textiles could rise from £73 million to £137 million, eventually reaching £200 million by 2035. These figures exclude additional costs expected from the extension of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to the waste sector in 2028 and rising waste management fees.

The burden of these costs is likely to fall on taxpayers through council tax increases, while charities face growing risks to income and operational sustainability.

The Blueprint argues that a well-designed Textiles EPR scheme could significantly reduce landfill and incineration rates, generate funding for sustainable collection, sorting, reuse and recycling infrastructure, and incentivise more circular product design. Failure to act could result in an estimated additional 2.5 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent emissions per year due to increased disposal of textiles.

Jordan Girling, Head of EPR at WRAP, said the sector had demonstrated strong commitment to co-designing a mandatory scheme. “Urgent action is the only way to prevent charities, local authorities and consumers bearing the cost of dealing with the nation’s unwanted textiles. The cost of inaction is greater than the cost of establishing a UK EPR scheme,” he said, adding that EPR would ensure brands take responsibility for products at end of use by funding collection, reuse, recycling and consumer behaviour change initiatives.

Adam Mansell, CEO of UKFT, said a textiles EPR scheme would be “a critical step” in delivering a more circular UK fashion and textile industry, while emphasising the need for a framework that balances environmental ambition with economic and operational realities.

Sophie De Salis, Sustainability Policy Advisor at the BRC, noted that a well-designed, industry-led scheme could revitalise the textiles waste management system, create circular economy jobs and improve product design.

Kristina Bull, Co-founder of WEFT, highlighted the economic opportunity of a mandatory EPR scheme, stating it could help stabilise the used-textiles market, support domestic infrastructure and protect jobs across collection, sorting and reuse, provided continued cross-sector collaboration is maintained.