Extended Producer Responsibility laws changed South Africa's packaging industry, exposing both the promise and pitfalls of producer-led waste reform. As textile waste increases, the sector faces growing pressure to follow suit.

Extended Producer Responsibility laws changed South Africa's packaging industry, exposing both the promise and pitfalls of producer-led waste reform. As textile waste increases, the sector faces growing pressure to follow suit.

If you've ever tried peeling cling wrap off a polystyrene tray, you've felt the maddening inefficiency of our waste system. Now imagine doing that -- but with a bra.

South Africans produce about 122 million tons of waste each year, of which only 10% is recycled. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is meant to shrink this figure.

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The premise is simple: if you make it, you're responsible for what happens when it's no longer useful.

Since 2020, EPR has been law in South Africa, starting with packaging, electronics, and lighting. Producers have to fund the collection and recycling of their products, nudging them toward smarter design and less waste.

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment hoped this would steer waste away from landfills and push the economy toward something more circular.

The clothing and textile sector is one earmarked for localisation and sustainability -- but with the potential of its largely unmanaged waste stream growing, it faces pressure to follow the packaging industry's lead on environmentally friendly...