Developing a national programme for textiles and clothing recovery

Developing a national programme for textiles and clothing recovery

Author
Mohammad Bukharu
Ruth Carrasco-Gallego
Eva Ponce-Cueto
Publication Date
March, 2018
Country
France
Language for original content

Textiles waste is relatively small in terms of weight as compared to other waste streams, but it has a large impact on human health and environment, and its rate is increasing due to the ‘fast fashion’ model. In this paper, the authors examine the French national programme for managing post-consumer textiles and clothing through a case study research.

France is the only country in the world implementing an extended producer responsibility (EPR) policy for end-of-use clothing, linen and shoes. The case highlights the benefits of using an EPR policy and provides interesting insights about the challenges faced by the textiles waste sector. For instance, the EPR policy has contributed to a threefold increase in the collection and recycling rates of post-consumer textiles since 2006.