FAQ EPR for textiles, English

The Dutch government aims for the textile industry to be circular by 2050. Currently, half of all textiles are discarded as non-recyclable waste after use. To help change this, the Dutch government is introducing new legislation for the preparing for reuse and recycling of textile products. These new rules will encourage businesses in the textile industry to adopt more sustainable production methods and to reduce waste by incorporating more recycled content in their textiles.

The rules apply to producers, which includes importers, manufacturers and foreign suppliers, who place newly made items of clothing and/or household textiles on the Dutch market. ‘Placing on the market’ means the first making available of these types of textiles on the Dutch market. This is done on a professional basis, irrespective of the selling technique used.

It does not matter to whom the textile products have first been made available to. This can be another store, a company or a consumer. The textiles can be charged or made available free of charge.

The rules only apply to producers of the following types of newly manufactured textiles:

• clothing, such as shirts, sweaters and trousers, including work clothing
• bedding, such as duvet covers and sheets
• table linen, such as tablecloths
• other household linen, such as towels and tea towels

In essence, there are three types of ‘producers’ of these textiles:

• manufacturers based in the Netherlands
• importers based in the Netherlands
• foreign suppliers that supply their textile products directly to end consumers in the Netherlands

Please see the unofficial translation of the Dutch Decree (pdf, 273 kB) for the exact wording of the rules.

Suppliers of newly manufactured clothing and household textiles who are based outside the Netherlands and supply their products directly to end consumers in the Netherlands (including through online channels) are required to appoint an individual or a legal person resident in the Netherlands as their ‘authorised representative’. The authorised representative will fulfil the producer responsibility obligations, such as the registration of the represented producer(s).

Each individual producer is required to comply with all of the new EPR obligations, including the one-time registration and the organisation of the waste management measures for their textile products. These are complicated procedures. Working together with other producers can make this easier and offers financial and administrative advantages.

If a producer joins a so-called Producer Responsibility Organisation, this organisation can fulfil the obligations on the producer’s behalf. For example, it takes care of the registration with the government, it organises the collection of textiles and it ensures that materials are properly and sufficiently prepared for reuse and/or recycled. It also draws up the annual report collectively. A Producer Responsibility Organisation will charge a fee for these services.

At the moment, there are three Producers Responsibility Organisations: Stichting UPV Textiel,  European Recycling Platform Netherlands B.V. and Collectief Circulair Textiel.

When EPR for textiles takes effect, producers become responsible for what happens to their textiles after these items are discarded. In other words, they will have to organise and pay for waste management for the products they place on the market.

Please see the unofficial translation of the Dutch Decree (pdf, 273 kB) for the exact wording of the obligations.

The rules can be summarised as follows:

One-time registration

EPR for textiles will take effect on 1 July 2023. Between 1 July and 12 August 2023, producers must register with the Dutch government, also indicating the type and quantity of textiles that the producer expects to market in the Netherlands in the next 12 months. Producers can do this by filling in the registration form on this website (in Dutch only).

Appropriate collection system

Producers are required to set up an appropriate collection system for the textile products they place on the market. The system must be accessible all year round and may not be limited to areas where waste collection and management are most cost-effective. Producers must accept the products free of charge from people wishing to return them.

Use of recycled textile fibres

Producers must take steps to increase the amount of recycled textile fibres in their products to enhance more recycled textiles are being used in new textile products.

Obligatory targets for preparing for reuse and recycling

The minimum targets for preparing for reuse and recycling of textiles will rise annually, starting in 2025, and are expressed as a percentage of the total weight of the products that producers placed on the Dutch market in the previous calendar year.

Annual reporting

Every producer is required to provide the government with annual compliance reports. This means that producers must submit a report each year (before the 1st of August) explaining how they are complying with the EPR obligations and stating the amount of textiles they placed on the market in the Netherlands in the previous calendar year.

The minimum targets for preparing for reuse and recycling will not take effect until 2025. Therefore, producers will not need to include this information in the reports for 2023 (to be submitted in 2024) and 2024 (to be submitted in 2025). Instead, producers need only report the type and quantity of textile products that they marketed in those years. In the report for 2025 (to be submitted in 2026), producers will need to include additional information such as the producer’s performance in relation to the minimum targets for preparing for reuse and recycling.