GRF GRANT The EU has taken steps towards circularity in the textile industry. In 2018, the EU Waste Framework Directive of 2008 was amended to outline a roadmap with a focus on repair, reuse, a target for member states to establish separate collections of household textile waste by Jan 1, 2025, and a shift of burden towards producers through encouragement of EPR. In response, France (2020), Sweden (2022), Italy (2023) and Netherlands (2023) have introduced binding EPR regulations with targets for clothing recovered for recycling or resale. The EU’s recent proposal for a targeted revision of the Waste Framework Directive, which would require a harmonized EPR program across Europe, with targets for collection, recycling and reuse, policies to prevent ‘dumping’ of postconsumer textiles, and incentives for developing infrastructures, and innovations that support a more circular apparel value chain. Given the challenges such as the disconnect between the policy goals and the current technologies, infrastructure and business models, the effectiveness of this approach remains to be seen. Prof. Kira Matus Professor, PPOL PROJECT TITLE Can We Regulate Our way to a Circular Economy? A Study of the Relationship between Extended Producer Responsibility Regulation and Sustainable Innovation in the Textile Industry FUNDING AGENCY General Research Fund (GRF), Research Grants Council, Hong Kong SAR (Ref. 16601224) AMOUNT AWARDED HK$1,099,992. PROJECT DESCRIPTION This project aims to explore the potential of extended producer responsibility (EPR) systems in driving sustainability and circularity in globally dispersed value chains. The global textile and fashion industry, one of the largest, most polluting, high growth, globally dispersed industrial sectors, imposes significant environmental impacts including overconsumption of natural resources, water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and waste into landfills. 10 GRANT
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