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 new rules for reusing and recycling textiles as of 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 recycle from 2025 onward.
What do you need to tell the government?
- First, you must register with the water authority (in Dutch). You must do so between 1 July and 12 August 2023. You must give information about your business. You also need to state how much textile you want to sell. And what type of textile. Finally, you have to explain how you will comply with the rules.
- From 2024, you must register annually how much textile wares you have sold the previous year.
- From 2026, you must declare whether you comply with the rules for reusing and recycling annually.
Extended producer responsibility (UPV) for textile
The textile industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world. Many raw materials (water, energy, chemicals) are used and wasted. More and more textile is used. More than half of the textiles in the Netherlands ends up in the residual waste. The government wants to ensure that more textiles are reused. And that there is less waste. That is why new rules are coming: the extended producer responsibility (UPV) for textile.
What is reusing and recycling?
According to these new rules, reusing means that textiles are used again for the same type of product. 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.
Preparing for reuse is different than normal reuse. Normal reuse is for example selling clothing in a second-hand store. Preparing for reuse is about textile that has been thrown away and textile that has become waste. A waste processing company ensures that textile waste can be used for new textile products.
Recycling means waste is used again for products or materials. With fibre-to-fibre recycling fibres are made from textile waste. That is used for new textile.
How much reusing and recycling?
From 2025, the percentage of textiles that have to be reused and recycled 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.
Together with other producers
You can choose to work together with other producers to comply with these rules. Industry associations Modint and INretail have founded a producers’ organisations which you can join.