Fashion, fashion, fashion…the industry that impacts our environment more than we actually realize. As we navigate through our daily lives, buying the things we need, many may not want to acknowledge how much we consume and dispose of. Approximately 9.5 million tons of clothing are disposed of in North American landfills every year, and 85% of the world's textiles are burned or disposed of in landfills.
The fashion and textile industry on the whole accounts for approximately 10% of global greenhouse-gas emissions, when so many of the materials can be recycled or repurposed in some manner. Hundreds of billions are lost annually due to the underuse and negligent discarding of what we buy. Consumer waste is reversible by us. We can simply buy less, or shop sustainably which in part requires a shift in our consumption patterns.
Fighting Production Waste at its Source
Fashion designers and big brands produce large quantities of merchandise primarily based on consumer demand. And although many of those brands have taken voluntary action and initiatives to remedy their environmental impacts those individual efforts are not powerful enough. Circularity programs, reduction of single-use packaging or even switching completely to non-biodegradable packaging are great strides in neutralizing greenhouse gases; however, these sustainability targets cannot offset the carbon emissions produced by the fashion and textile industry.
Some stakeholders and legislators believe EPR, or Extended Producer Responsibility, is a viable and sustainable answer to the ultimate elimination of textile waste. EPR is a policy approach that governs the post-consumer lifecycle of a product. It ensures that producers, not just brands, designers nor consumers, are held both physically and financially responsible for the appropriate disposal of their products and packaging. The enforcement of this policy is designed to promote positive environmental diversion, and in some cases incentivize producers for costs associated with end-of-life management.
EPR Regulation by Country
image source: E. Watkins and S. Gionfra (2019) How to implement extended producer responsibility (EPR): A briefing for governments and businesses
Now I will give a small summary of how various countries have adopted EPR policies to shift responsibility to industry players (at all stages of the fashion value chain). This production waste, no matter the country, contributes to differing forms of environmental pollution including the degradation of water, air, and soil. Without significant improvement on operational and environmental shortcomings, systemic issues will continue, preventing the achievement of a net positive industry by 2050.
Netherlands - adopted EPR for textile taken effect July 1, 2023
In the Dutch market, EPR applies to all parties along the supply chain, as they are all co-responsible for managing product waste from the fashion industry. Textile manufacturers and importers are responsible for collecting, recycling and overall waste management phase of clothing and occupational clothing brought into the market, as well as the costs of logistics of the system. The municipalities are responsible for covering all acquired cost associated with collecting and recycling any discarded clothing from their residents.
Source: https://business.gov.nl/amendment/fashion-chains-must-collect-discarded-clothing/
Italy
Italy’s Ministry of Environment and Energy Security (MASE), Ministry of Enterprise and “Made in Italy” (MIMIT) drafted a decree that obligates producers and key stakeholders in the textile industry to implement EPR provisions regarding design, production, disposal, and recycling of textiles. Italy is aiming towards innovation in circular economy model within the textile supply chain, according to standards set by European Parliament for EU members.
Directive (EU) 2018/851 introduces provisions at improving the reuse and recycling of waste. Moreover, Italy drafted a new decree stemming from this EPR directive which introduces important changes for textile manufacturers and producers:
1. Producers will take responsibility for financing and organizing the collection, preparation for re-use, recycle and recovery of textile waste.
2. Producers must use financial and organizational means to collaborate with relevant authorities using management systems to coordinate textile waste collection, as well as “selective collection systems to increase the quality of textile fractions”.
3. Pay environmental fee necessary to provide waste management service.
4. Manufacturers (especially of design phases of textile products) must ensure that they develop, produce and market products “suitable for reuse and repair”. Products should contain recycled materials, have durability and is easily repairable.
5. Meet specific eco-design measures such as: bio-compatible textile fibers and natural materials; eliminate hazardous components and substances (i.e. microplastics)
South Korea
In South Korea, there are mandatory packaging recyclability evaluations that are in place to ensure that all producers, manufacturers, and importers comply with Korean Packaging Recycling Cooperative. This measure has been in place since 2020. Korean packaging producers and importers also must comply with a recyclability grade labelling system. All elements of certain types of packaging (paper cartons, glass & PET bottles, aluminum cans and composite material film sheet) must be assessed individually as excellent, good, average, or difficult to recycle before proper authorities will confirm and provide Certificate of Packaging Grade.
EPR contribution rates are set based on packaging grades, which could potentially promote the use of “excellent to recycle” packaging for all. However, if manufacturers and importers are non-compliant with recyclability grading system, consequences may include a ban on manufacturing, importation, sales or a fine not exceeding 1 billion KRW.
Japan
Since the early 2000s, Japan has been implementing EPR provisions. Producers may utilize the national level scheme, registering with Japan Container and Packaging Recycling Association giving municipalities responsibility for waste collection, sortation, and transportation for a fee, or simply apply for approval to use an individual recycling system to handle the recycling on their own.
Source:https://www.loraxcompliance.com/blog/env/2021/07/05/Existing_EPR_policies_in_Asia_Pacific.html
France
In French territories, marketplace sellers (e.g. Amazon) offering products and merchandise must comply with EPR regulations. To avoid suspension, french authorities require merchants to register packaging material usage according to the total number of consumer sale units. There are one of three packaging declarations schemes for sellers based on the number of CSUs placed in France throughout a calendar year.
Global VAT Compliance suggest sellers license a smaller number of materials than the first filing of each year. GVC offers one of three packaging declarations, according to the total number of consumer sale units sold in France.
Germany
Similar to France, by law, Germany requires all sellers introducing products to license or declare the materials that will be used for packaging. This must be done in advance in the appropriate agencies. Failure to comply with EPR policy obligations will result in sellers on certain marketplaces being suspended.
Source: https://www.globalvatcompliance.com/epr-extended-producer-responsibility/