Briefing published by Landfills2Landmarks

In September, Hon. Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP tabled a series of Parliamentary Questions informed by submissions from Landfills2Landmarks. We are grateful to the Honourable MP for ensuring these issues were formally submitted to the relevant Government department and for her continued engagement on this agenda.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs issued its responses between 3 and 16 September. These answers set out the Government’s current position as it prepares the Circular Economy Strategy and confirm that textiles will be one of the priority sectors under review. Their publication has created a constructive opening for further dialogue, which we have since continued with DEFRA and partner organisations.

One of the central points raised in the questions concerns how used clothing is categorised under UK law. The responses restated the existing position: most exported used textiles are legally treated as products for reuse rather than waste, and therefore fall outside waste-shipment reporting requirements. While this distinction is long established, it remains an area where clearer public understanding is needed, especially given how often “waste” and “reusable goods” are conflated in wider commentary. Aligning terminology, data, and communication will be important as the policy develops.

The Parliamentary exchanges also highlight opportunities to strengthen visibility across the export and reuse chain, improve data structures, and support evidence-based collaboration with trading partners. These elements will be significant as the UK moves toward consultation on the Circular Economy Strategy.

We invite stakeholders and partners to review the full Parliamentary Questions and Government responses. They provide a transparent foundation for ongoing dialogue and allow readers to form their own assessment of the issues raised. Read the full Parliamentary Questions and Government responses here:

What consultations have been undertaken with Ghanaian government agencies, waste management entities, market associations such as Kantamanto, or the Ghana Environmental Protection Agency in the development of the Extended Producer Responsibility proposals for textiles?	questions-statements.parliament.uk
Whether the scope of the forthcoming Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for textiles will include mandatory requirements for transparency regarding exported textile waste and related financial transfers, including the reporting of overseas end-of-life outcomes?	questions-statements.parliament.uk
What consideration has been given to the inclusion of digital product passports within the Extended Producer Responsibility framework and the wider Circular Economy Strategy, and on what basis any exclusions have been determined?	questions-statements.parliament.uk
whether systems are in place to (a) record and (b) monitor the (i) tonnage, (ii) quality and (iii) composition of post-consumer textile exports from the UK to Ghana; and what evidence exporters are required to submit on (A) sorting, (B) reuse and (C) disposal practices in destination countries.	questions-statements.parliament.uk
What proportion of post-consumer textiles collected in the UK is processed domestically, and what volume is exported, including the estimated percentage of material categorised as unsellable or ‘C- grade’?	questions-statements.parliament.uk
Whether there are plans to introduce export controls under the textile Extended Producer Responsibility framework to ensure that producers contribute to recycling or end-of-life infrastructure in countries receiving UK textile exports?	questions-statements.parliament.uk
What assessment has been made of the impact of mixed-fibre textiles on textile recycling, and whether policy measures such as eco-modulated fees are under consideration to promote the use of recyclable materials?	questions-statements.parliament.uk
whether he has made an assessment of trends in the level of short-lifespan garments produced by ultrafast fashion brands; and whether he plans to introduce (a) product standards and (b) import-related duties to reduce waste from those products.	questions-statements.parliament.uk
What progress has been made in the implementation of the ACT UK pilot for automated textile sorting and pre-processing, including the level of public funding committed, and what safeguards are in place to ensure that materials processed through the scheme are retained for domestic reprocessing?	questions-statements.parliament.uk
What plans are in place to support or co-finance textile recycling and waste infrastructure in Ghana through UK aid, public–private partnerships or other bilateral arrangements?	questions-statements.parliament.uk
Whether the forthcoming Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for textiles will include obligations for producers or importers to contribute to downstream waste management costs in countries where UK origin textiles are received?	questions-statements.parliament.uk
Whether consideration is being given to inviting representatives of Ghana’s Environmental Protection Agency, textile traders, recycling operators and designers to participate in a collaborative pilot or formal working group on international textile value chains?	questions-statements.parliament.uk/
Whether a formal engagement has been arranged between the UK government and a Ghanaian delegation representing public, private and civil society stakeholders in advance of implementation of the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for textiles?	questions-statements.parliament.uk
What is the proposed timeline for the publication, consultation and enforcement phases of the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for textiles scheduled for introduction in autumn 2025?	questions-statements.parliament.uk/
What compliance measures and enforcement mechanisms are being developed to ensure producer, sorter and exporter adherence to the transparency and traceability requirements of the scheme?	questions-statements.parliament.uk

Landfills2Landmarks will continue to contribute data frameworks, technical insight, and cross-border cooperation to support a fair and internationally aligned approach to textile reuse and circularity.