UK Textile EPR: Delay, Uncertainty and Business Readiness

UK Textile EPR: The UK's transition towards a circular economy has reached a critical point.

Textiles have been identified by Government as one of the priority sectors in England's developing circular economy framework, alongside construction, transport, agri-food, chemicals and plastics. Yet despite widespread industry expectation, the Circular Economy Growth Plan remains unpublished, leaving businesses, investors and waste management operators waiting for greater policy certainty.

For the textiles sector, this delay matters.

The UK generates approximately 1.4 million tonnes of post-consumer textiles each year, with nearly half ending up in landfill or incineration rather than being reused or recycled. At the same time, demand for recycled materials continues to grow as brands seek to meet sustainability commitments, improve resource efficiency and respond to changing consumer expectations.

The challenge is not simply waste. It is about creating the infrastructure, investment and regulatory framework needed to support a genuinely circular textile economy.

Where Does the Circular Economy Growth Plan Stand?

The new Government established the Circular Economy Taskforce in 2024 to help shape England's transition towards a more resource-efficient economy, with textiles included as a priority sector.  A team of experts was brought together, priority areas and sub-groups established and an intensive period of engagement with a wide range of stakeholders took place through Q1 – Q3 2025.  Publication was expected “by the end of the year”, then “in the New Year”, “in the Spring” but, as May became July and a new Prime Minister appointed a new ministerial team it became unclear whether anything would result from the work.  As of September 2026, the Circular Economy Growth Plan has still not been published.

The most recent Government update appears within the Residual Waste Reduction Environment Act Target Delivery Plan, published by Defra in July 2026. The document confirms that Government intends to publish the Circular Economy Growth Plan "soon" and that the plan will support efforts to increase repair, reuse and recycling beyond existing waste reforms. However, no publication date has been confirmed.

The same delivery plan highlights ambitious targets to reduce residual waste, including an interim target of 437kg per capita by 2030 and a longer-term target of 287kg per capita by 2042. EPR for packaging is identified as a key part of achieving this but there is no mention of textiles.

Reducing residual waste relies on reducing waste generation overall as well as providing households with convenient opportunities to reuse and recycle different types of waste.  Packaging relies on a long-established set of requirements on local authorities, waste managements companies, businesses as well as companies placing packaging on the UK market under the EPR for packaging scheme.

In contrast, textiles has, for generations, relied on the ‘pull’ of inherent value in the material – value realised through reuse in the UK, export for reuse abroad and some amounts of fibre recovery and secondary usage.  This value has supported the UK’s significant network of collections (bring banks, charity shops, some kerbside collections) as well as businesses specialising in sorting, grading, reselling, exporting and reprocessing used textiles.  It is clear that this network is under significant pressure – with some local authorities reporting that this has become a ‘cost stream’ rather than a ‘revenue stream’ for them.

Why does this matter? If bring banks disappear and charity shops close their doors, more textiles are likely to end up in households’ residual waste bins and adding to the kg per capita.

Why Policy Delays Matter

Policy certainty is essential if industry is expected to invest.

Building a circular textile system requires significant investment across collection infrastructure, sorting facilities, reuse networks and textile-to-textile recycling technologies. These are long-term investments measured in years, not months.

Many businesses operating within the textile value chain recognise that Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is likely to play a central role in funding these systems. Yet investors and operators need a clearer understanding of future obligations before committing capital at scale.

This is why industry bodies, including the UK Fashion & Textile Association (UKFT), have continued to call for greater clarity around future policy direction and implementation timelines.

Without a clear roadmap, there is a risk that infrastructure development falls behind future regulatory requirements, making it harder and more expensive to deliver the outcomes policymakers want to achieve.

Europe Is Moving Faster

While the UK continues to evaluate its approach, textile EPR is already operating in several European markets – and coming soon to many more.

Across Europe, textile producers are increasingly required to contribute towards the collection, sorting, reuse and recycling of textiles placed on the market. Meanwhile, EU Member States are working towards the implementation of national textile EPR schemes under the revised Waste Framework Directive framework.

For UK-based businesses selling into Europe, these developments are already creating compliance requirements in key markets.

This means that many brands cannot simply wait for UK legislation. They must monitor developments both domestically and internationally.

What should Producers be doing now?

Regardless of when UK textiles EPR is introduced, the foundations of compliance are already becoming clear.

Forward-thinking organisations should be:

Establishing accurate product data

Understand what products are being placed on the market, including volumes, weight, fibre composition and recycled content.

Reviewing future product impacts

Assess durability, repairability, recyclability and the use of mixed materials which may influence future fee structures.

Mapping textile flows

Understand what happens to returned, surplus, damaged and end-of-life products.

Assessing potential financial exposure

Build internal models to understand how future producer fees could affect commercial operations.

Monitoring UK and EU developments separately

Avoid assuming future UK requirements will mirror European rules exactly.

Building internal readiness

Ensure sustainability, compliance, procurement and product development teams understand the likely direction of travel.

These actions will not be wasted effort. They also support wider business objectives around traceability, reporting, circular design and responsible sourcing.

The industry needs clarity. Businesses need a plan.

The Circular Economy Growth Plan represents an opportunity to provide the certainty that industry has been asking for.

At ERP UK, we believe that textiles EPR has the potential to become far more than a compliance mechanism. Done properly, it can help unlock investment, strengthen UK recycling infrastructure, create new circular business models and keep valuable materials in use for longer.

The question is no longer whether textile circularity will become a major business issue.

The question is whether organisations will be prepared when regulation eventually arrives.

Prepare before legislation arrives

Many producers are waiting for legislation before acting.

The businesses that gain the greatest advantage will be those that prepare before compliance becomes mandatory.

ERP UK is already supporting organisations across Europe with textile EPR obligations, compliance planning, reporting requirements and circular economy strategy. Through the Landbell Group, we have experience from markets where textile EPR is already operational, helping businesses understand what works in practice and how to prepare efficiently.

Want to understand how future UK Textiles EPR could affect your business?

Book a free Textiles EPR readiness discussion with ERP UK. We'll help you assess likely obligations, identify compliance gaps, benchmark your preparedness and stay ahead of future legislation.

Telephone: +44 (0)20 3142 6452

E-mail: uk@erp-recycling.org