Recently, the European Union and the United Kingdom have successively introduced significant environmental protection regulations in the textile and clothing sector. Two "green barriers" have been tightened simultaneously, directly impacting the survival and development of China's textile export enterprises. The EU's ban on destroying unsold textiles and the UK's implementation of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) plan mark the entry of environmental protection supervision in the European and American markets into a new stage. Enterprises can only quickly adapt to the regulatory requirements to safeguard their overseas market share. 

EU ban on destruction, UK EPR, dual regulation is coming 

The two policies have their own focuses, but both revolve around "green environmental protection and full life-cycle responsibility", and set clear compliance requirements for export enterprises. The European Union relies on the "Sustainable Product Eco-design Regulation" (ESPR), completely prohibiting enterprises from randomly destroying unsold clothing, accessories, and footwear products. Large enterprises must implement this from July 2026, medium-sized enterprises have a transitional period until 2030, and small enterprises are temporarily exempted. At the same time, enterprises are required to record the disposal of inventory details and report them on time, completely eradicating the industry's stubborn problem of "destroying unsold products". 

The UK has launched a textile EPR program, requiring brands, importers, etc. to bear the responsibility for the recycling and processing of products throughout their entire life cycle. The fees are charged based on product units rather than weight, and are linked to the durability and recyclability of the products. The policy covers mainstream textiles such as clothing and shoes. Although small and medium-sized enterprises have a one-year grace period, they do not have the right to a fee exemption, and the export cost will significantly increase. 

Textile export enterprises are facing three major challenges. 

After the new policy was implemented, the operational pressure of China's textile export enterprises has significantly increased, with the core pain points concentrated in three aspects. First, the disposal of inventory is restricted. The previous model of reducing storage and maintaining brand image by destroying unsold products no longer works. The costs for reselling, refurbishing, and donating unsold products have increased, and the asset impairment risk of inventory accumulation has risen. Second, the export costs have structurally increased. The EPR fees in the UK, compliance declaration costs, and product green transformation costs have further weakened the price advantage of China's textiles. Third, the compliance threshold has risen. The EU requires full-chain data traceability, and the UK requires products to conform to green standards. Small and medium-sized enterprises lacking digital management capabilities find it difficult to adapt. 

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