UPV Textiles: what it means for you

Do you produce or import textiles such as bed linen, table linen and towels or clothing for consumers and businesses? Then you have to comply with the UPV Textiles. In short, this means: what you put on the market, you also collect. Read here what the UPV means for you.

Half of all textiles still end up in residual waste. In the Netherlands, that is about 305 kilotonnes of textiles a year. The government wants this to change. That is why, since 1 July 2023, the Besluit uitgebreide producentenverantwoordelijkheid Textiel (Decree on Extended Producer Responsibility for Textiles (UPV), in Dutch) is in place. The idea behind it: producers are not only responsible for making products, but also for what happens to these items when their customer discards them. The new rule ensures that the textile sector itself has to arrange and pay for the waste management of their products. By doing so, the government is encouraging the industry to produce more sustainably. And to reduce waste as much as possible and use more recycled textiles.

Extended producer responsibility is nothing new. The car industry, for example, has been responsible for waste management of car tyres since 2020. Manufacturers of household appliances also have to deal with UPV.

Who does the UPV Textiles apply to?

Do you import or produce textiles for the Dutch market? And are you the first to market these products? Then the UPV applies to you. The duty applies to all producers and importers in the fashion and textile industry. From the largest fashion chains to the small boutique on the corner.

UPV Textiles: what should I do?

You have two options: join a joint initiative or tackle waste management on your own. In both options, you contribute to a collection and recycling system. You also have to inform the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management annually about the amount of textiles you put on the market.

Join a producer organisation

Do you want to spend as little time as possible on the UPV obligation? Then you can choose to join a producer organisation such as Stichting UPV Textiles or European Recyling Platform Netherlands. A producer organisation manages the entire waste process: from collection to recycling and from payments to reporting. It looks like this:

1. You join the producer organisation.
2. Every year, you tell the organisation how many textiles you bring to the market. You pay your annual contribution on that basis. 
3. The producer organisation organises the collection system. Stichting UPV Textiles, for example, uses the existing textile containers. So at these places, consumers can also hand in your products. The foundation makes agreements with municipalities about this.
4. Producer organisations also make agreements with textile collectors, sorters, recycling shops, and recyclers.
5. It is the task of the producer organisation to report on recycling targets to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Rijkswaterstaat.

Organise your own waste management

Do you choose to organise it yourself? Then you set up a place where your customers can hand in the used clothes or textiles. Then you get to work with the used fabrics. First, you check whether the items brought in are suitable for reuse. If not, you offer it for recycling. For example, to textile collectors. What is left over you take to a waste processor. You also have to report how much textile you have sold before 1 August of every year to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. If you fail to do so or commit fraud, you risk fines or even closure of your business. From 2025, the government will extend this reporting obligation. You will then report exactly what happens to your textile waste.