Textile EPR | Netherlands

Textile EPR in the Netherlands: An Overview

Since 1 July 2023, the Netherlands has implemented Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for textiles (in Dutch: Uitgebreide Producentenverantwoordelijkheid or UPV). The goal is to make producers responsible not just for making and selling textile products, but also for what happens at the end of their useful life — i.e. reuse, recycling, and reducing textile waste.

What Textile Products Are Covered?

The regulation applies to new textile items in certain categories. Key ones include:

• Clothing (both consumer clothing and workwear)

• Household textiles, such as bed linen, table linen, towels, etc.

Excluded items (for now) are things like:

• Second-hand items

• Some textile products like shoes, bags, belts, certain home textiles (e.g. curtains) until further regulation extends the scope.

Who Is Responsible

“Producers” in this context includes:

• Brands/manufacturers placing textile products on the Dutch market for the first time.

• Importers, including those outside the Netherlands who sell into NL (for example via e-commerce) must appoint a representative in NL.

If you're a producer, you must either handle the obligations yourself or join a Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) to do so.

There are three PROs currently operating:

• Stichting UPV Textiel

• European Recycling Platform Netherlands (ERP NL)

• Collectief Circulair Textiel

What Producers Must Do

Some of the main obligations for producers are:

1. Registration: Declare what textile products they place on the market, including type and volume.Collection Systems: Ensure there is a system in place for consumers to dispose of textiles free of charge, year-round. Could be drop-off bins, return to shops, etc.

2. Reuse & Recycling Targets: Meet set percentages of textiles prepared for reuse or recycling. There are also targets for how much of that should be reused in the Netherlands and how much should be fibre-to-fibre recycled.

3. Reporting: Annual reports to the government are required, covering volumes sold, reused, recycled, and demonstration of meeting the targets.

Targets & Timelines

Here are some of the key targets:

Year	Reuse + Recycling Target (by weight)	Of which Must Be Reuse*	Reuse in NL*	Fibre-to-Fibre Recycling*
2025	50%	At least 20%	At least 10%	25% fibre-to-fibre of discarded textiles
2030	75%	At least 25%	At least 15%	33% fibre-to-fibre

* Based on total weight of textiles placed on the market in the preceding year.

What This Means in Practice

For Producers & Importers

• Must assess costs and systems for collection, sorting, recycling / reuse.

• May need to redesign products to make them easier to recycle or reuse, to meet fibre-to-fibre targets.

• Need to collaborate with PROs or set up their own schemes and be transparent about where and how textiles are handled.

For Consumers & Society

• Better access to textile drop-off and recycling. Free disposal of old textiles.

• More textiles expected to be reused, locally or through charitable / reuse networks.

• Less textile waste going to landfill or being inefficiently handled.

For Circularity & Sustainability

• Incentives to design for durability, recyclability, and use of recycled fibre.

• Promotes innovation in recycling technologies (especially fibre-to-fibre).

• Pushes the sector towards more sustainable production and consumption patterns.

Challenges & Things to Watch

• Meeting fibre-to-fibre recycling targets is technically and economically challenging (mixed fibres, low demand, sorting costs).

• Ensuring reuse in the Netherlands (not offshoring to other countries) may require robust local infrastructure.

• Small brands / importers might struggle initially with administrative burden or cost. PROs help mitigate this.

• Enforcement and monitoring are essential to ensure compliance. Authorities like the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) are tasked with oversight.

Looking Forward: Expanding the Scope

The policy program for circular textiles 2025-2030 anticipates extending the EPR to cover more textile product categories, such as shoes, curtains, and other household textiles not yet included.  Also, as European EPR rules evolve, national rules may need updating.

Why It Matters

Textile waste globally is a major environmental issue: resource loss, pollution (water, chemical, microplastics), greenhouse gas emissions. The Dutch EPR is an attempt to shift who bears responsibility—and cost—from society at large to those who produce and import products. It aligns with broader EU goals for circular economy, climate policy, and reducing waste. By making producers account for end-of-life impacts, it's hoped the industry will change: more durable designs, better materials, better systems for reuse and recycling, and fewer resources wasted.