National target: 50 per cent recycling by 2035
Milan, 21 November 2023 – ERP has created Consorzio ERP Italia Tessile to comply with the new European Directive for waste recycling. European Recycling Platform is a pan-European organisation active in Italy with its local organisation and part of the main non-profit Compliance Schemes dealing with regulation-compliant management of Italian WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment), Waste Batteries and Accumulators.
This non-profit organisation ensures the correct management of compliance obligations for textile waste defined under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) principle and other obliged parties operating in Italy.
It is the first Italian Consortium for textile waste recycling in Europe. With its membership in a global group which is spread over 18 countries, and 41 Compliance Schemes, the Consortium can play a crucial role in making the sector more sustainable, considering the growth in the quantity of textile waste (garments, home textiles and footwear): an increase of 63 per cent by 2030.
“Being part of an integrated network brings benefits to Italian Producers and obliged parties in an export-oriented fashion sector. Once the directive enters into force, companies obliged to manage collection can refer to ERP as a single organisation, to simplify compliance with this new directive, benefiting from savings and efficiencies” – Head of ERP Southern Europe Alberto Canni Ferrari.
The sector must accelerate to encourage the circular economy. In Europe, more than 78 per cent of textile waste is sent to landfill or destined for waste-to-energy (about 5.6 million tons). It is crucial to take further steps in Italy. To date, only about 10 per cent of the products released for consumption is collected (about 157,000 tons out of more than a million).
Data shows the need for a change of pace that can no longer be postponed, and it is for this reason that Consorzio ERP Italia Tessile is available for producers and other stakeholders to help define a new system which will bridge the gap between products placed on the market and waste sorting. This is challenging for the Italian economic system if we do not work together: 50 per cent of waste sorted by 2035.
The sector should play its part in mitigating environmental impact. in Europe, textile consumption is the fourth main cause of climate change impact, while, globally, it ranks third for water and soil use. According to a European Environment Agency (EEA) study, the per capita consumption of textiles by an EU citizen is about 14.8 kg divided between clothing, home textiles and shoes.
