Overview
- Germany’s environment ministry, which published its policy outline Friday, proposed a Textile Act that makes manufacturers and importers pay for collecting and disposing of used clothing.
- Producers would have to join new responsibility organizations that run collection and sorting, with each group required to hit a 70% collection rate based on what its members sold the prior year.
- Fees would scale with product quality, using criteria such as durability, repairability, reusability, recyclability, and the presence of hazardous substances.
- The rules would cover clothing, accessories, home textiles, and shoes, apply to low-cost imports, and keep municipalities and charities central to collections while exempting second-hand shops that take only wearable items.
- Environmental groups called the plan too weak and sought binding criteria and funding for reuse, industry groups warned of costly red tape and called it an “indulgence trade,” and a formal bill will follow to meet the EU’s June 17, 2027 deadline.