The German textile and fashion industry aims to advance the development of a sustainable take-back system for textiles with a new pilot project. This is stated in a press release by the Joint Take-Back System Service Company mbH (GRS Service GmbH) dated September 9. The aim, according to the release, is a modern EPR system (Extended Producer Responsibility) that not only financially involves manufacturers but also actively includes them in the design and implementation of textile recycling.
In the project, funded
by the German Federal Environment Foundation (DBU), in the future not only collection quotas should be considered, but also manufacturer-related parameters, environmental impacts and sustainable design.
No legal basis
While countries such as France and the Netherlands have already introduced textile EPR systems, Germany still lacks a legal basis. The revision of the EU Waste Framework Directive would now offer the chance to design a practical, unbureaucratic and effective system, according to GRS Service GmbH.
“We need a textile EPR system
that is ecologically and economically effective, legally secure and reflects the reality of the industry — especially for small and medium-sized enterprises,” says Jonas Stracke, Head of Circular Economy at the Textile+Fashion Federation. “With expensive, bureaucratic system monsters, we will not advance the circular economy a single inch.”
The project will be implemented together with the GRS Servicegesellschaft mbH, the Stiftung GRS Batterien and the Forschungskuratorium Textil. Experiences from other waste streams — such as batteries, packaging or electrical equipment —
will flow into the analysis. Dr. Julia Hobohm, managing director of the GRS Servicegesellschaft mbH, emphasizes:
“Our experiences from the battery sector clearly show which mistakes must be avoided in the introduction of a textile EPR system in Germany. This also includes the critical examination of legally established collection quotas.”
The project runs for 16 months and will be scientifically monitored. The aim is an evaluation system that takes into account the actual environmental impacts and meaningfully expands producer responsibility, according
