What is EPR for apparel in the EU and who pays the fees?

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) shifts the cost of collecting, sorting and recycling textile waste to the producers who put garments on the market. France already runs a mandatory textile EPR scheme through Refashion, and EU-level harmonisation is advancing under the textile strategy and ESPR.

Who counts as the producer:

• Brands selling under their own name, and companies importing apparel for sale in an EU member state.
• Distance sellers (e-commerce) shipping into the EU are also in scope.

What producers must do:

• Register with the national scheme (or an authorised representative where required).
• Report volumes placed on the market per year.
• Pay eco-modulated fees: garments designed for durability, repairability and recyclability pay less; harder-to-recycle constructions pay more.

What it means for your cost structure: EPR fees are per-unit and eco-modulated, so design decisions made at the factory - mono-material construction, removable trims, recycled content - directly reduce your per-garment fee. This is why we flag EPR-relevant design choices during development, not after production.

See the compliance certification guide for EU and US importers for how EPR fits with OEKO-TEX, BSCI and GRS.