Plans to reduce waste have been unveiled this week to mark Global Recycling Day, which took place on Thursday 18 March - including proposals for new measures that will ramp up action on fast fashion and hold manufacturers accountable for textile waste.
These plans form part of a new wide-ranging Waste Prevention Programme for England which sets out how the Government and industry can take action across seven key sectors – construction; textiles; furniture; electrical and electronics products; road vehicles; packaging, plastics and single-use items; and food - to minimise waste and work towards a more resource efficient economy. This includes steps to use resources more efficiently, design and manufacture products for optimum life and repair and reuse more items.
Building on the landmark Resources & Waste Strategy, the Government will consult stakeholders by the end of 2022 on options for textiles, such as an Extended Producer Responsibility scheme which would ensure the industry contributes to the costs of recycling, supported by measures to encourage better design and labelling. This will help to boost the reuse and recycling of textiles and reduce the environmental footprint of the sector.
A producer responsibility scheme for the textiles industry could boost reuse, better collections and recycling, drive the use of sustainable fibres, and support sustainable businesses models such as rental schemes.
Truro and Falmouth’s Member of Parliament Cherilyn Mackrory said:
“Alongside the Government’s landmark Environment Bill that I was closely involved in during committee stage last year, I am pleased to see these reforms to the fashion industry coming forward.”
“I was concerned to hear that the fashion industry is estimated to account for 4% of annual global carbon emissions, while textiles production leads to greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the emissions of France, Germany and the UK.”
“We buy and throw away increasing amounts of fabrics, with the purchase of clothing rising by almost 20% between 2012 and 2016, and around 921,000 tonnes of used textiles disposed of in household waste each year.”
“Much more needs to be done to turn this wastage around, and it is good to see the Government committing to do something about it by working with the industry to make changes for the better.”
Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said:
“We are firmly committed to ending the ‘throwaway’ culture as we build back greener.”
“Major retailers and fashion brands have made strides in reducing their environmental footprint but there is more we must do. That is why, through our world-leading Environment Bill and landmark reforms, we will take steps to tackle fast fashion by incentivising recycling and encouraging innovation in new design.”
Progress has been made by the textiles industry, led by the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan, a voluntary agreement coordinated by WRAP. Signatories - which include major fashion retailers such as M&S, ASOS and Next - collectively reduced their water and carbon footprint per tonne of clothing by 19.5% and 15.9% respectively between 2012 and 2019.
The Government aims to galvanise ambitious industry action through a new voluntary agreement – Textiles 2030 - for the next 10 years, which will aim to reduce the environmental footprint of the textiles sector through science-based targets.
Alongside this, using powers sought in the Environment Bill, the Government will be able to set minimum standards for clothing on durability and recycled content, and explore ways to improve labelling and consumer information of clothing. Meanwhile, £30 million has been allocated by UK Research and Innovation to establish five new research centres that will develop UK-based circular supply chains, one of which will focus on circular textiles technology.
This week’s announcement builds on the Resources and Waste Strategy, which sets out how the Government will place greater responsibility on producers to make their items easier to reuse and recycle.