A groundbreaking, industry-backed White Paper urges the Government to implement variable Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) fees immediately to drive sustainability and establish a circular economy in the UK fashion and textiles sector.

Read the WEFT EPR variable fee white paper

Unveiled at the UKFT Sustainability Conference 2024 in London, the EPR Sandbox, presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for impactful change.

Urgent Call for Action
Developed by QSA Partners, with support from UKFT, British Fashion Council, the British Retail Consortium and several luxury, fashion and retail brands, this White Paper emphasises the need for immediate government action to enable a more circular economy and create a variable EPR textile scheme that works for all.

The UK clothing and textiles industry is responsible for significant environmental and social impacts through textile waste alone, making the shift to a sustainable and circular system overdue. The proposed variable EPR fees would ensure that producers bear the cost of their products’ end-of-life treatment, rather than passing this burden onto communities and the environment. An EPR framework is needed for the industry to increase recycling and the reuse of products and materials, whilst reducing unnecessary consumption and the harmful impacts of production.

The fashion and textile industry is a significant player in both economic and environmental landscapes. The industry contributes approximately £62 billion to the UK economy, highlighting its importance in terms of employment, revenue, and cultural impact. However, the environmental cost of the industry is substantial as well. The NGO WRAP estimated in 2019, that 336k tonnes of clothing is sent to UK landfills annually. These figures underline the urgent need for sustainable practices and innovations within the industry.

A Circular Solution for Complex Challenges
The current fashion and textiles waste management system is global and intricate, making it unrealistic for producers to manage their products’ end-of-life treatment directly. Variable EPR fees would channel funds to local operators who can process these products responsibly, preventing environmental harm.

The sandbox project sets out to revolutionise fashion sustainability by analysing extensive producer data to support circular eco-modulation of fees. Data from over 500,000 garment types, spanning hundreds of millions of items, were scrutinised. The project achieved accurate results for over 85% of the data, ensuring robust insights even for incomplete data sets.

This ambitious initiative received backing from UKRI, and included a Steering Committee chaired by UKFT with members from the British Fashion Council, the British Retail Consortium, global luxury brand Burberry, Marks & Spencer, New Look, John Smedley, a global sportswear brand and a leading online resale platform.

Key Findings:

1. Data Integration: Developed new methods to rapidly connect large volumes of product, sales, and weight data, allowing for accurate analysis.
2. Variable Fee Models: Tested different fee structures, including per-item, per-kilogram, and fees based on circular attributes, encouraging sustainable design.
3. Circularity Incentives: Proposing a central fund to promote repair, reuse, and recycling, could offer financial benefits to producers engaging in these activities.
4. Market Impact: Scaling variable fees across the UK could generate substantial funding for circular activities and reduce costs for producers who adopt sustainable practices.

Change is long overdue

The UK cannot continue to consume without care. Brands and retailers have a vast influential reach that impacts not only buyer behaviours but can lessen our collective effects around the globe.

But knowing and even accepting a role is one thing, being able to act in a cohesive and implementable way is another. Our work opens doors to the next step, which will be led by a new independent company: WEFT.

An opportunity for Government

The White Paper released today lays out a clear call to Government, backed by research and developed in partnership with industry. The EPR Sandbox highlights a once in a generation opportunity to incentivise sustainability and secure funding for the development of high-impact circular infrastructure, jobs and skills in the UK.

Read the full press release

VISIT THE WEFT WEBSITE

Quotes from brands and retailers involved:

Burberry

At Burberry, we are working to support a more circular economy through our aftercare services and circular business models. These services help our customers keep their luxury products in use for longer. By contributing to this industry-led EPR Sandbox project, our aim is to positively influence the future of the fashion industry in adopting more circular practices.

Sumit Dargad, VP, Quality and Engineering, Supply Chain at Burberry

John Smedley

As a 240-year-old 8th generation family-owned business, we are committed to manufacturing sustainably. Traceability and raw material partnerships form a huge part of our sustainability journey. The EPR Sandbox project has enabled a steering committee from various sectors within the textile industry to create a process for EPR that is fair to all involved. Everyone needs to become aware of the EPR process and help us shape the future for product end of life and beyond. Incremental gains for reducing our CO2 emissions create huge benefits for the planet.

Tim Clark, Technical Director, John Smedley

Marks & Spencer

At M&S, we ensure our clothes are made well and made to last and, through Plan A, we’ve been taking action for over 15 years to help customers give their clothes Another life. In 2008, we were the first UK retailer to launch a clothes recycling scheme, and this year we launched a clothing repair service. We are proud to be a part of the Fashion Extended Producer Responsibility Sandbox project and support steps to scale textile recycling in the UK but want to work with Government so that it drives tangible change. A successful EPR scheme must incentivise good business, encourage circular design and invest in UK recycling infrastructure if we are to achieve positive change.

Katharine Beacham, Head of Sustainability in Clothing & Home at Marks & Spencer