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Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

EPR requirements ensure that producers are responsible for post use waste and recycling as well as pre-consumer waste (unsold production). When done using a product, users take them back to the place they were purchased for reuse and recycling. To close the loop and reduce this fiscal load, companies need to devise processes that facilitate repair, re-use and recycling of their products from the beginning.

VET: How would you reuse the materials of the things that you make?

HEI: How can you create long use materials that are easy to recycle when they return to you, often seven years from now?


Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a policy approach that shifts the responsibility for managing the post-consumer phase of a product’s life from governments to the producers. In the fashion industry, this means that brands and manufacturers are accountable not just for the creation and sale of their products, but also for what happens to these products after they are no longer useful to consumers. EPR policies are designed to ensure that producers take responsibility for the entire lifecycle of their products, including take-back programs, recycling, and waste management.

EPR encourages companies to design products with their end-of-life in mind, leading to innovations in repair, reuse, and recycling. By integrating these considerations into the design process, companies can reduce the environmental impact of their products and make it easier for consumers to return items for recycling or repurposing. This approach not only reduces waste but also helps to close the loop in product lifecycles, promoting a more circular economy.

One of the critical aspects of EPR is the take-back system, where consumers can return products to the point of purchase or designated collection points once they are no longer needed. The collected products are then either repaired for reuse, dismantled for parts, or recycled into new materials. This process helps to minimize the amount of waste that ends up in landfills and reduces the demand for virgin materials, thereby conserving natural resources.

For companies, EPR represents both a challenge and an opportunity. While it may impose additional costs and logistical demands, it also drives innovation and can lead to stronger customer loyalty by demonstrating a commitment to sustainability. Companies that successfully implement EPR can differentiate themselves in the market by offering products that are not only high-quality and durable but also designed for easy recycling and minimal environmental impact.

Case studies

Nudie Jeans – Repair Shops and Re-use Program

Nudie Jeans operates a network of Repair Shops offering free repairs for life on its denim, combined with in-store take-back and resale of used jeans through its “Re-use” program. This effectively shifts responsibility for post-use garments back to the producer, extending product lifetimes and keeping textile value in a closed loop through repair, resale, and recycling.
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The North Face – Clothes the Loop

The North Face’s “Clothes the Loop” initiative allows users to return used clothing and footwear (from any brand) to designated collection points in its stores. Returned products are sorted for reuse, recycling, or downcycling, reducing landfill waste and embodying EPR principles by making the brand co-responsible for end-of-life management.
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Nike – Reuse-A-Shoe and Nike Grind

Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program collects worn-out athletic footwear and processes it into Nike Grind materials, which are used in new products and sports surfaces. By organizing collection, processing, and material reintegration, Nike assumes responsibility for post-use shoes and demonstrates how EPR can be operationalised at scale in footwear.
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H&M – Garment Collecting Programme

H&M’s Garment Collecting programme installs collection boxes in stores where users can return unwanted textiles from any brand. These are sorted into rewear, reuse, and recycle streams, with the programme framed as part of H&M’s responsibility for textile waste and alignment with emerging EPR schemes for textiles.
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Refashion (France) – National EPR Scheme for Textiles

Refashion is the French eco-organisation mandated under national EPR legislation for clothing, household linen, and footwear. It coordinates producer fees, supports collection and sorting infrastructures, and funds R&D for recycling, making it a systemic example of how EPR can structure end-of-life responsibility for the entire textile value chain.
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References

Niinimäki, K., Peters, G. M., Dahlbo, H., Perry, P., Rissanen, T., & Gwilt, A. (2020). The environmental price of fast fashion. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 1(4), 189–200. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-020-0039-9

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2016). Extended producer responsibility: Updated guidance for efficient waste management. OECD Publishing. https://www.oecd.org/environment/waste/extended-producer-responsibility.htm

European Environment Agency. (2019). Textiles in Europe’s circular economy (EEA Report No. 15/2019). European Environment Agency. https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/textiles-in-europes-circular-economy

Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (2017). A new textiles economy: Redesigning fashion’s future. Ellen MacArthur Foundation. https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/a-new-textiles-economy

European Commission. (2022). EU strategy for sustainable and circular textiles. European Commission. https://environment.ec.europa.eu/strategy/textiles-strategy_en