The report presents the progress the Commission has made in implementing the 2022 strategy for the outermost regions. It shows that the Commission has delivered on its commitment to reflect the outermost regions’ characteristics in legislative proposals, policy initiatives and programmes.

The outermost regions have high potential to develop circular economy solutions. Cohesion policy supports circular economy development there. Both the ERDF and Interreg support waste management and recycling, for instance in Réunion with EUR 18 million of ERDF funding dedicated to the circular economy. Outermost regions also benefit from support under the LIFE programme. Several of these regions have designed circular strategies, such as the Circular Economy Conference of the Azores.

As governments and industries around the globe move towards a circular economy, it’s key to align ambitions and create a common direction of travel. 

This paper sets out five universal circular economy policy goals around which governments and businesses can align to achieve their common objectives. Applicable across sectors and local contexts, these policy goals can – working in conjunction – help governments build healthier economic recoveries and lower the cost of transition for business.

The goals are as follows:

• Stimulate design for the circular economy
• Manage resources to preserve value
• Make the economics work
• Invest in innovation, infrastructure and skills
• Collaborate for system change

A comprehensive circular economy approach is the only solution that can match the scale of the global textile waste problem.

This report, written for policymakers, feeds into the global debate on textile waste and pollution. It focuses on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies, stipulating mandatory, fee-based schemes. These are a crucial policy tool to ensure discarded textiles are collected and put back in circulation at scale, rather than being incinerated or landfilled.

The data modelling and analytics used focus on selected countries (including Chile, EU Member States, Ghana, India, Kenya, Tunisia and the USA), chosen due to the significant role they play in the trade of used textiles, as well as the existence or ongoing development of EPR policy.