Climate action organisation Wrap has published a new report on behalf of the UK government on how the fashion and textiles industry can cut waste and carbon emissions.
Its Textiles Policy Options paper, supported by a cost benefits analysis, calls for a combination of actions needed to address sustainability at every stage of a garment’s lifecycle.
The report provides the government with “evidence and insights” to inform future policy on clothing and textiles, with a shortlist of policy options, their predicted outcomes and their effectiveness as stand-alone policies.
These include a call for criteria on design to improve product durability and recyclability together with effective product labelling.
Other recommendations include restrictions on landfill and incineration, grants and loans to develop recycling infrastructure, and an increase in textile collections.
It also calls for an extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme, building on the new packaging waste regulations that include making companies responsible for the full net cost of managing packaging once it becomes waste.
The costs benefits analysis supports the evidence in the main report and looks at the impacts of the different options on the environment and on society, and the cost to businesses and consumers.
However, announcing the publication of the report and analysis, Wrap concluded that “no single policy measure will suffice in isolation, and a combination of options is necessary to address every stage of a product’s lifecycle.
“We also know through industry engagement that businesses are keen that any new policy measures work in harmony with developments in international policy such as the EU Strategy for Sustainable Textiles.”
Both documents are available to read and download at wrap.org.uk/resources/report/textiles-policy-options-and-cost-benefit-analysis.
