EPR for Textiles – A tour through Erdotex Textiles Sorting Facility

EPR for Textiles (A tour through the eyes of our Head of Finance)

Introducing EPR for Textiles in the UK is one of six focus areas for Defra's Circular Economy Tack Force and is gaining widespread support. To get ahead of the game, our Head of Finance, Jo Tucker had the pleasure of joining colleagues from ERP Netherlands and a few key customers on a guided tour of the Erdotex Textiles Sorting facility to see how EPR is supporting their activity.

Erdotex Textiles Sorting facility

Stepping into Erdotex’s sorting facility, I was immediately struck by how clean and well-organised the space was. Unlike other waste sites I have visited, this one had a faint smell of fabric softener.

Led by our tour guide, Mert Ozturk, CEO of Erdotex, our tour started at the collection area, where massive tip trucks delivered large plastic bags filled with unwanted clothes.

As the bags moved along the conveyor belt, I noticed the occasional single shoe floating around—its partner nowhere in sight.  This was a reminder to myself to tie my shoes together before I put them into the charity bag!

The sheer volume of material being processed was staggering. Erdotex handles 45,000 tons of textiles annually, ensuring that as much as possible is repurposed rather than wasted.

Sustainability in Action

While sorting remains a manual task, automation and robotics are used to transport the processed materials to the next phase of the sorting process, ensuring the facility runs as efficiently as possible.

As we continued our tour, we saw bales of neatly sorted textiles all packed together, ready for their next journey. Some were destined for second hand markets, while others would be sent to recyclers to be transformed into new fibres.

Watching this process unfold really reinforced the importance of the sorting process in the circular economy.

Reflecting on EPR

Erdotex is not merely handling discarded clothing; it is actively helping to turn waste into valuable resources.

Walking through the facility, I couldn’t help but consider the role EPR plays in addressing textile waste.

Mert, the CEO of Erdotex, explained that due to fast fashion and platforms like Vinted, the volume of low-quality, low-value clothing entering the facility has increased. Meanwhile, the amount of high-quality, high-value clothing has decreased, putting financial pressure on the whole sorting operation.

The reuse and recycling targets in the Netherlands are purposely aggressive.

The tour of the site clearly demonstrated to me that EPR is essential for improving sorting for recycling and paving the way for a circular textile economy.

* Special thanks to Tjaco Twigt and Pernille Filemon from ERP Netherlands for organising the tour.

Support for mandatory Textiles EPR

ERP UK stand behind the strong and very consistent support from across the textiles sector on the need for a mandatory textiles EPR.

Textile EPR obligations

ERP Netherlands

If you are a textile producer, you want your textile products to comply with legislation without it becoming a complex or time-consuming task. For this ERP Netherlands will take care of the entire process for you – from collection and sorting to recycling and administration. This way, you can effortlessly comply with the EPR Textile legislation while contributing to a circular future. We make Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) simple. Reach out to us today – visit the ERP Netherlands website here:

ERP UK

We provide leading expertise, data-driven solutions, and take-back programmes that simplify EPR for organisations navigating increasingly complex environmental regulations. If you needing help with compliance matters reach out to us today - visit our About us page

Related links

EPR: If you would like to learn more about Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) visit our webpage here

Contact us today:

Telephone: +44 (0)20 3142 6452

E-mail: uk@erp-recycling.org

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