Ireland takes the next step towards Textile EPR

The Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment has launched a stakeholder consultation on the draft delivery plan for Ireland's forthcoming Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for textiles.

Required under EU legislation, the scheme must be established by April 2028 and will place responsibility on producers to contribute to the collection, reuse, repair and recycling of textiles at end of life.

Obligated producers will include manufacturers and brand owners, importers, wholesalers, retailers, distributors, and online or distance sellers that first place textile products on the Irish market. The proposed scope covers products such as clothing, footwear, accessories, blankets, rugs, household linen, curtains and hats.

The move reflects growing international momentum behind textile EPR. Earlier this year, California appointed Landbell USA as the Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) under the Responsible Textile Recovery Act (SB 707) – the first legislation of its kind in the United States. As textile EPR schemes develop globally, valuable lessons are emerging in areas such as funding models, infrastructure development and producer engagement.

As Ireland moves towards implementation, early engagement from industry will be critical to ensuring a practical, efficient and circular system that supports textile reuse, repair and recycling while delivering meaningful environmental outcomes.

The consultation is open until 9 September 2026.