The three-month project will aim to gather data to help develop an EPR fee system for the UK. Credit: Shutterstock

The UKFT said this initiative offers a unique opportunity for SMEs to engage in the circular economy and stay ahead of potential regulatory changes.

EPR policies place the responsibility on producers to fund the collection, sorting, and recycling of discarded products. The UKFT’s selected SMEs will collaborate with experts in EPR to gather data, with the goal of tailoring an EPR policy to the UK’s textile sector, improving product lifecycle management and sustainability practices.

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Application criteria for UKFT SMEs EPR competition

Participating businesses must meet the following criteria:

  • SMEs based in the UK and actively placing products in the UK market
  • Operate within the apparel or textiles industry (including home textiles)
  • Produce and/or sell 20,000 – 30,000 units on the UK market within a year

If selected, the SMEs will need to provide access to products and sales data for in-depth analysis. A Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) will be signed between the two organisations.

This project builds on UKFT’s previous collaboration with QSA Partners, which explored the implications of EPR fees for the UK apparel and textile industry.

In August UKFT announced its plans to work with homeless charity Crisis on a trial scheme aimed at tacking clothing waste. The organisations hoped to better educate consumers on which items of clothing are re-wearable and non-rewearable, reducing the amount of donated clothing that cannot be resold.

Last September, UKFT along with the British Fashion Council (BFC) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) announced a new partnership that aimed to bring together industry, innovators, investors, academia and broader stakeholders to help create a “roadmap” accelerating the UK towards a circular fashion economy.