EPR-Extended Producer Responsibility: What the EU’s New Law Means for Fashion and Beyond
- Anna anna@beamberlin.com
- Sep 12
- 2 min read
The European Union has just taken a historic step toward tackling textile waste. On 9 September 2025, the European Parliament voted to amend the Waste Framework Directive (WFD), officially introducing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for textiles. This means that fashion brands, retailers, and even e-commerce operators will now be legally obliged to cover the costs of collecting, sorting, and recycling textile waste — a shift that will fundamentally reshape the industry.
What the legislation says
According to the new directive, Member States have 20 months to transpose the rules into national law, and EPR schemes must be fully operational by April 2028. The scope is wide: clothing, footwear, accessories, hats, bedding, curtains, kitchen textiles, and even mattresses or fabrics used in furniture will be included.
Producers will contribute financially based on the eco-design features of their products.
Producer registers will be introduced across the EU, increasing transparency by tracking how many garments each brand places on the market.
Microenterprises will have one additional year to comply.
Stronger mechanisms will be in place to prevent illegal exports of textile waste through traceability and documentation.
As the European Parliament notes, the law also aligns with broader efforts to cut waste streams, as textile consumption in the EU is already the fourth-highest pressure category on the environment and climate change (after food, housing, and mobility).
Spain: already one step ahead
Spain has been a frontrunner in this area. Since April 2022, the country has had its own Law on Waste and Contaminated Soils, which already paved the way for EPR. In June 2025, the Spanish government published a Royal Decree specifically regulating textile EPR. This decree has been under public consultation and will now align with the EU’s broader directive — meaning Spanish brands may need to move even faster to comply.
Why this matters for brands
This new law is not only about compliance. It is a wake-up call for the fashion, footwear, and home textiles and partially automotive industries. With transparency requirements and eco-modulated fees on the horizon, brands will have strong financial incentives to design products that are easier to reuse, repair, and recycle. According to the European Environment Agency, the average EU citizen discards 12.6 kg of textiles per year, with most of it ending in landfills or incinerators. This law directly addresses that unsustainable trajectory.
Where CIRQUEL comes in
At CIRQUEL, we see these regulations as more than obligations — they are opportunities. By leveraging AI-powered anomaly detection, quality forecasting, and localized resale and rental networks, we help brands minimize waste, recover value from returns, and prepare for EPR requirements. Reverse logistics is no longer just an operational concern; it is becoming a compliance and revenue strategy.
The EU has made it clear: waste is no longer someone else’s problem. For brands, the time to adapt is now — and CIRQUEL is here to make that journey not just possible, but profitable.
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