Publishing a ten-point, industry blueprint, the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and the Pact have set out how such a system could be designed and implemented in the UK.
The Blueprint follows engagement across the UK textiles value chain and reflects what the Pact described as “overwhelming demand” from industry for a mandatory scheme that is co-designed with producers, recyclers, charities and local authorities.
Jordan Girling, Head of EPR at WRAP, said: “The UK’s textiles value chain is truly committed to co-designing a mandatory UK Textiles EPR scheme.”
The call comes as the UK’s used textiles sector faces mounting pressure, with rising disposal costs, declining clothing quality and increasing volumes of textiles being thrown away.
Girling added: “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.”
Ten recommendations for textiles EPR
The UK Textile Pact’s Blueprint set out ten core recommendations for a mandatory UK Textiles EPR scheme:
- Publish legislation this parliament to establish a mandatory UK Textiles EPR scheme
- Set up an industry-led scheme run by a single, non-profit Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO), with a steering committee representing the whole value chain
- Include all UK nations in the scheme
- Consider a phased approach to products included within the scope of EPR, with clear timelines for when different textile items are included
- Align the definition of ‘producers’ with the EU and existing UK producer responsibility schemes for other problematic waste streams
- Ensure EPR funding is ringfenced for direct reinvestment into the scheme’s success, and charge EPR fees per item
- Make fees eco-modulated to reward sustainable design and materials
- Prioritise reuse over recycling to maximise environmental benefits
- After the successful implementation of a UK Textiles EPR scheme that generates funding for UK processing infrastructure, the industry-led PRO could conduct further exploratory work to consider a ‘plug-in’ to the EPR scheme that ‘producers’ can engage in voluntarily to further support the Global South with managing used textiles from the UK sustainably
- The PRO should play an active role in EPR scheme enforcement to ensure a fair playing field for producers and to maximise the impact of the scheme
The blueprint recommendations aligned with a cross-industry position statement released by the Pact in Summer 2025 ahead of the Government’s forthcoming Circular Economy Growth Plan, which includes textiles as one of its targeted areas.
Sophie De Salis, Sustainability Policy Advisor at the British Retail Consortium, commented: “A well-designed, well-sequenced and industry-led scheme has the power to revitalise our textiles waste management system, create more jobs in the circular economy and ultimately lead to better designed textiles in the market.”
Adam Mansell, CEO at UKFT, added: “Any future framework must support circular economy objectives while remaining practical and workable for producers.”
Secondary textiles market struggling
The call for EPR comes amid growing concern over the state of the UK’s used textiles sector.
According to WRAP, nearly half (49%) of all used textiles are currently thrown away by the public with charities and local authorities increasingly unable to cope with the volume and declining quality of clothing.
The Salvation Army has paused its collection contracts with Household Waste Recycle Centres until the end of January 2026, partially due to the increasing volume of donations.
WRAP has warned that, without intervention, charities, councils and consumers will bear the cost of the UK’s textiles waste crisis.
The Textile Recycling Association (TRA) added: “The publication of WRAP’s Blueprint for a UK Textiles Extended Producer Responsibility scheme is an important moment for the sector. It brings together a wide range of industry perspectives and reinforces the growing consensus that a mandatory EPR scheme is essential if the UK is to protect vital textile reuse and recycling infrastructure and deliver genuine circular-economy outcomes.
“As with any EPR system, the success of textiles EPR will ultimately depend on the detail of how it is designed and implemented, and it is vital that this next phase is shaped through continued, open engagement with all parts of the value chain.”
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