Reusing and recycling textile (UPV)

Arrangement for reusing and recycling

Are you a producer (for example, importer) of clothing and household textiles in the Netherlands? Then your business has to comply with the rules for reusing and recycling textiles that came into effect on 1 July 2023. For example, you must collect textile waste. Also, you must register with the government. You must ensure that textiles can be prepared for reuse and recycling from 2025 onward.

You can choose whether to comply with the rules yourself, or join a producers' organisation to comply.

What do you need to tell the government?

• If your activities fall under the extended producer responsibility for textiles, you must register with the water authority (in Dutch) within 6 weeks of starting those activities. You must give information about your business. You also need to state how much textile you want to sell.
• You must register annually the amount of textile you have sold the previous year.
• From 2026, you must declare whether you comply with the rules for reusing and recycling annually.

What is reusing and recycling?

Reusing means that textiles are used again for the same purpose. You must ensure that textile waste is prepared for this. A waste processing company can take care of this. That company has to check, clean and repair textile waste. It ensures that there is no need for other treatment when reusing the textile.

Recycling means waste is used again for products or materials. With fibre-to-fibre recycling, fibres are made from textile waste. These are used for new textile.

How much do you need to prepare for reuse and recycling?

From 2025, the percentage of textiles that have to be prepared for reuse and recycling will increase each year. In 2025 these amounts are the rule:

• At least 50% of the textile that is sold is prepared for reuse or recycle.
• At least 20% of the textile that is sold is prepared for reuse specifically.
• At least 10% of the textile sold is reused in the Netherlands.
• At least 25% of the recycled textile is fibre-to-fibre recycled.

Who has to comply?

The rules are for entrepreneurs who first offer a new textile product on the Dutch market. For example, when you sell new clothing. Or new bed linen. It does not matter whether you sell to businesses or consumers.

Do you sell only second-hand textile? Then the UPV rules do not apply to you.

Do you sell textiles in the Netherlands, but is your company not located there? Then you must appoint an authorised representative in the Netherlands.

Which types of textile are subject to the rules?

The UPV textile includes:

• consumer clothing
• business clothing
• bed linen
• table linen
• housekeeping linen, such as towels and kitchen towels

The rules do not include other textile products such as shoes, belts, head gear, bedspreads, curtains, and cleaning cloths.

Collecting textiles with other producers

You can choose to work together with other producers to comply with these rules. You can join a producers' organisation. This organisation can collect clothing and household textiles on your behalf. For example, by providing collection points where people can hand in used textiles.

The producers' organisation also takes care of waste management. And they report to the government annually. To take part, you pay a fee to the producers' organisation. There are 2 producers' organisations in the Netherlands: Stichting UPV Textiel and European Recycling Platform Netherlands B.V.