Last week, our UK sustainability team hosted a textile stakeholder workshop with the Circular Economy Taskforce, in collaboration with DEFRA. The Circular Economy Taskforce aims to develop a new national strategy for England. During the month of May they have been looking to the industry to gain insight to help inform the strategy and explore specific potential interventions that will be required.
Alongside agrifood, chemicals & plastics, transport, build environment and electricals & electronic equipment, a textiles subgroup has been formed as a specific area of focus. The textiles industry plays a pivotal role in this transition, given the fragmented and complex landscape of current waste streams, and the scale of the problem: 1.45 million tonnes of used textiles were generated in the UK in 2022.
Alex Rennison, Joint Head of Circular Economy Strategy kicked off the session and set the wider context of the new government and its growth agenda, as well as recognising England’s relative status as a laggard compared with other devolved nations and European neighbours. He explained the aims of the strategy, the iterative process, as well as acknowledged the considerable barriers to achieving circularity, including data scarcity and traditionally linear supply chains.
Wayne, Philip and Stuart, the textile subgroup taskforce members took us through the urgency for action in textiles, as well as some of the possible interventions that are being explored:
- A textiles Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme
- Quality and repairability requirements
- Reduced reliance on raw materials including recycled and biogenic content
Attendees included textile brands, retailers, manufacturers, digital innovators, NGOs, and industry bodies. Some of the key themes of the discussion were around:
1. Circularity and commerciality. Circularity initiatives succeed when they unite environmental goals with business value, such as resale platforms that create new customer relationships and revenue streams.
2. EPR schemes must be industry-led and properly designed. An effective EPR scheme should incentivise behavioural and design changes, building in learnings from other systems elsewhere in the world. There was a strong call for the income generated to be used within to support the sector, including repair, collection, and recycling infrastructure, and for whatever levy there may be, for it to strike the balance for affordable and accessible textiles for the consumer.
3. Reducing production and increasing durability is essential. True circularity starts with reduction—placing fewer, better-quality garments on the market. Incentives for durable and recyclable products, along with consumer education, are critical.
NB: strategy development is still ongoing – the above themes are considerations only and not confirmed for inclusion in the strategy
Thank you to all who attended and shared their knowledge and insights. DEFRA aims to publish strategy proposals in the Autumn and there will be further consultations throughout the process.
Click to find out more about our sustainability offering and to get in touch.
Share:
