Understanding SMEs in the EPR Sandbox
Industry Briefing – Tailoring textiles EPR to suit all businesses
WEFT was funded by the UK Fashion & Textiles Association (UKFT) and the Circular Fashion Innovation Network (CFIN) to assess products produced and sold by a range of smaller fashion and textile brands based in the UK.
Learn from insights based on analysing SME data on over 300,000 new products and explore practical solutions for reducing costs and enhancing environmental performance.
British Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the British
fashion and textiles industry.
This project illustrates how well fashion SMEs know their supply chains, their impacts and their sourcing to a granular level and it is this in-depth knowledge and
understanding of their supply chain and circularity which will help them adapt to textiles Extended Producer Responsibility
Read the report to discover…
Data challenges and solutions
Brands often store product and sales data separately, complicating the integration and analysis of this data. Our project developed a method to match product identity, sales, and weight data, enabling accurate analysis.
Circularity
A central fund is proposed to incentivise circular activities such as repair, reuse, and recycling. This approach can help the industry drive real change through sustainable reinvestment of funds.
Variable fee system
We tested various variable fee models and compared fixed and variable options. Fee systems rewarding item weights and circular features incentivised participating brands on better product design and accurate reporting.
Industry impact
Scaling up variable fees can provide significant funding for circular initiatives and offer potential savings for brands adopting circular design principles. Data modelling indicates substantial benefits for the UK market, which can be replicated globally.
Getting into the detail of the Sandbox
At the 2024 UKFT Sustainability Conference the WEFT Sandbox White Paper was launched. If you missed it you can watch again following links here:
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Back to Baselines – Steve Russell, Professor at the University of Leeds, outlines how the Back to Baselines project is looking to establish research-validated baselines about the environmental impact of the fashion and textile industry
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The visible fee project – Steve Russell
OUR PARTNERS
Collaborating for Sustainable Change
WEFT collaborates with industry partners to drive sustainable change and advocate for fair and balanced EPR systems globally. Together, we work towards a more environmentally responsible fashion and textiles sector.
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