Key takeaways

1. Textile waste management has taken on greater significance in recent years, inspiring dedicated legislative measures in key global markets.
2. Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is one of the most important vehicles for change, putting new financial, traceability and transparency obligations on textile product producers.
3. In light of impending demands on the industry, we can expect to see a catalysation of innovation in several key areas, such as product passport technologies and textile-to-textile recycling.
4. The emphasis on circular business models also incentivises producers to optimise their reverse logistics operations. This could improve a company’s agility and profitability when adopting postconsumer revenue streams such as resale, repair and rental.

The current legislative landscape for textiles & apparel is particularly challenging. There are numerous changes on all fronts across various markets, making tracking new and incoming obligations difficult. The interconnected nature of policy and legislation adds to the complexity, as their effect can span multiple sectors, countries and institutions.

A substantial legislative trend in recent years surrounds the end-of-life management of textiles. Who should be collecting the waste and how? What infrastructure is needed? Where will the initial and upkeep investment come from? These are all central questions sparking respective