The German textile and fashion industry is encouraging the development of a sustainable textile take-back system. The goal is a modern EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) system that not only provides financial support but also actively involves manufacturers in its design and implementation.
While countries like France and the Netherlands have already introduced textile EPR systems, Germany still lacks a legal basis. The planned revision of the EU Waste Framework Directive now offers the opportunity to design a practical, unbureaucratic, and effective system – without repeating the mistakes of existing models. A new project component – funded by the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU) – is to develop new targets. Instead of focusing exclusively on collection rates, manufacturer-related parameters, environmental impacts, and sustainable design will be incorporated into the assessment in the future.
The project is being implemented jointly with GRS Servicegesellschaft mbH, the GRS Batteries Foundation and the Textile Research Board. Experiences from other waste streams—such as batteries, packaging, and electrical appliances—will be incorporated into the analysis. The project will run for 16 months and will be scientifically monitored. The goal is an assessment system that is focused on actual environmental impacts and meaningfully expands producer responsibility—an important step toward a true circular economy.
