The EP adopts its position on the WFD revision for food waste & textiles, establishing a comprehensive EPR scheme for textiles with some gaps to be addressed
Strasbourg, 13 March — Municipal Waste Europe (MWE) supports the European Parliament's adopted position on the Waste Framework Directive (WFD) revision, led by rapporteur Anna Zalewska. This revision aims to make producers responsible for textile products' end-of-life, promoting reuse and recycling, and marking a significant shift towards a circular textiles industry across Europe. However, MWE highlights certain gaps that need addressing to ensure effectiveness of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme and overall implementation of these new measures.
Transparent & Effective EPR Negotiations
Loopholes to be addressed
Municipalities are pleased to see that the European Parliament has broadened the scope of EPR beyond household waste to include sources such as hospitals, hotels, restaurants, and schools. Producers are required to cover at least 80% of the costs associated with collection, sorting for re-use, preparing for re-use and recycling, and R&D. MWE welcomes the incorporation of the cost of information campaigns including ongoing communication work. However, MWE calls for a more ambitious approach, making sure that producer responsibility fulfils the extension of EPR which is to ensure the polluters pay:
Waste textiles that remain in the mixed waste stream
Unsold textiles
Industrial waste textiles
Reducing the implementation timeframe
By 1 January 2025, municipalities are set to be responsible for organising the separate collection of textile waste. We welcome the European Parliament’s has sped up the implementation time for Member States to have an active EPR in place taking it from 30 months to 18. This will still mean 3.5 years after official publications. MWE is concerned about the economic burden this delay will impose on many municipalities as during this time gap they will need to, or have already invested in the necessary infrastructure.