As per the Ellen MacArthur foundation, the rate of garment disposal is disturbing, with enough rejected clothing every second to fill a rubbish truck, but less than 1 per cent is currently recycled into new garments.
In its report, Pushing the Boundaries of EPR Policy for Textiles, the foundation supports the universal adoption of circular economy principles. This approach underlines extending the lifespan of textile products, guaranteeing they are designed for reuse, remanufacturing, repair, or recycling utilising safe and renewable materials.
The report highlights the need to improve and significantly grow separate textile collection systems universally, particularly in regions where they are presently insufficient. Presently, these systems prioritise assembling textiles deemed fit for reuse owing to their market value, which regularly leads to global trade in reusable garments. Nevertheless, this method poses challenges for importing countries missing adequate infrastructure to manage textiles outside their usable life.
Stressing the role of EPR policies, which put responsibility on producers for the sorting, collection, and recycling of their items, the report claims that such guidelines are vital for establishing a circular economy in textiles. It proposes outspreading EPR outside recycling to boost circular design practices and other sustainable initiatives.
Without strong EPR policies, the report advises that textile recycling efforts will remain deficient, ensuing in millions of tonnes of textiles being landfilled, destroyed, or entering the environment yearly. It supports for EPR policies to encourage new sectors and job opportunities concentrated on reverse cycle activities such as collection, repair, sorting, and recycling.
Lately, data firm Kantar collaborated with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, emphasising their shared pledge to promoting circular economy knowledge globally.
