Germany moves ahead of EU on textile producer responsibility
- Thomas Lundkvist
- Jan 18
- 2 min read
Germany is preparing new legislation that would introduce a levy on fast fashion brands placing clothing on the German market. The aim is to shift the costs of collecting, sorting, recycling and disposing of textile waste away from municipalities and taxpayers and onto producers and brands.
National levy targets fast fashion volumes
Under the proposal, companies placing large volumes of low-cost garments on the market would be required to contribute financially to the collection, sorting, recycling and disposal infrastructure for textile waste. According to the environment ministry, the measure is intended to correct a situation in which local authorities currently bear the costs of a rapidly growing waste stream.
Germany acts ahead of EU textile EPR framework
The initiative comes as the EU is working towards a harmonised extended producer responsibility system for textiles. As part of the EU Textile Strategy and the revision of the Waste Framework Directive, all member states are expected to introduce EPR systems that make producers responsible for the full life cycle of textile products. These requirements include financing collection and treatment and creating incentives for more sustainable design.
Full implementation, however, is still several years away and leaves significant room for national approaches in the meantime.
Germany’s proposal can therefore be seen as an attempt to operationalise extended producer responsibility principles for textiles before the EU framework is fully in place. By explicitly targeting fast fashion, Germany also signals an ambition to use producer responsibility as a policy tool rather than merely an administrative funding mechanism.
Risk of fragmentation in the internal market
At the same time, the move raises questions about fragmentation. If member states develop their own levy structures, definitions and fee levels, the internal market could face diverging rules for the same products. For global brands, this could mean higher compliance costs and increased complexity, while municipalities and waste operators may encounter different financing models across borders.
For the EU, the German initiative adds pressure to deliver a credible and workable textile EPR system. It shows that some member states are unwilling to wait while the costs of textile waste continue to mount.
Whether Germany’s approach becomes a blueprint or an exception remains to be seen. What is clear is that producer responsibility for textiles is moving from policy ambition to economic reality.
Written by
Thomas Lundkvist
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