SMEs based in the UK or those that place products in the UK market are eligible to participate in a competition launched by the UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT).
- The initiative is meant to help develop an intelligent, fair and balanced Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) fee system.
THE COMPETITION: UKFT will fund a project by which two SMEs will be selected to work with experts on EPR on a three-month project aimed at gathering data to develop a balanced EPR fee system for the UK.
- Small and medium-sized enterprises that operate within the apparel or textiles industry are eligible for the contest which hopes to engage the wider industry and prepare it for any implementation of an EPR approach.
- UKFT has earlier collaborated with QSA Partners to explore the implications of EPR fees for the UK apparel and textile industry.
Application criteria: To participate, your business must meet the following criteria:
- SME based in the UK and actively placing products in the UK market;
- Operate within the apparel or textiles industry (incl. home textiles);
- Produce and/or sell 20,000 – 30,000 units on the UK market within a year.
THE CONTEXT: EPR policy places the responsibility on producers to fund collection, sorting and recycling of products discarded by consumers. EPR systems often place a fee on each item sold into the market, to cover its future collection and recycling (and, potentially, to incentivise better product design too).
- An effective EPR policy is tailored to local contexts and industry-specific targets, thereby improving the infrastructure and economics of textile collection, sorting, reuse and recycling.
- Hence, for an EPR policy to succeed, coordinated efforts are needed, bringing together diverse stakeholders, including brands and retailers of all sizes.
- The last date to apply is 20 September 2024.
