The UK Just Got A Blueprint For Textiles EPR. Here's What It Says.

No UK law exists yet forcing fashion brands to pay for what happens to clothes after they are thrown away. That is about to change, and the blueprint published in January 2026 tells you almost everything about the shape it will take.

On 28 January 2026, WRAP and the UK Textiles Pact published a ten point blueprint for a UK Textiles Extended Producer Responsibility scheme. It is not law yet. But it is the clearest signal so far of what a UK EPR scheme for textiles will actually look like, and it came from the industry itself, not just campaigners.

Central Saint Martins - Makers Camp 2026 - London - Made from textile waste

Why this matters now

Nearly half of all used textiles in the UK, 49 percent according to WRAP, get thrown away by the public rather than reused or recycled. Charities and councils are drowning in volume and falling quality. The blueprint is industry telling government: build the scheme, and build it properly.

Meanwhile the EU is already ahead. Its revised Waste Framework Directive entered into force in October 2025, making textiles EPR mandatory across every member state, with a deadline of April 2028 for operational schemes. The UK is watching and, per the blueprint, wants in.

What the blueprint actually proposes

• A single, non profit Producer Responsibility Organisation to run the scheme, with a steering committee across the whole value chain

• All UK nations included, not just England

• A phased scope starting with clothing, accessories, footwear, hats and flat household textiles like bed sheets (carpets and upholstery stay out for now)

• Research into a possible 10p per item charge on new clothing placed on the UK market, to fund recovery and circular management

• Mandatory legislation, not a voluntary scheme

What this means if you are an SME

If you import, make or sell clothing or footwear in the UK, this is heading your way even though there is no live legislation yet. The direction of travel matters more than the exact date. Brands that start now, mapping what they place on the market and how it is made, will not be scrambling later.

This sits close to what I already do with B Corp and carbon clients: know your product volumes, know your materials, know your supply chain. A textiles EPR scheme will want the same data.

What to do about it

• Start tracking how many units and what weight of product you place on the UK market each year

• Get ahead on material composition data, since scope decisions may hinge on recyclability

• Watch for the formal government consultation, expected to follow the Circular Economy Growth Plan

If any of this touches your business and you want a hand mapping where you stand, email or DM me.

Sources

WRAP, "UK Textiles Extended Producer Responsibility Blueprint," published 28 January 2026 (wrap.ngo). WRAP media centre press release on the ten point blueprint, 28 January 2026. Clarity, "New Era for Textiles: Mandatory EU EPR Under the Revised Waste Framework Directive."