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Circular Soundbites
Thread Talks: Policy and Aligned Regulation
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In this episode, we chat to Ava Kenny-Colwell, the Compliance Manager at UKFT.
UKFT takes centre stage in this episode as we chat about the latest global textile policy landscape. Even without mandatory UK EPR yet, brands face EU pressures like ESPR and national schemes. We will also share insights from France, California, and Australia. You'll share UKFT's view on what's shifting, what brands need to prep for, and how to avoid compliance pitfalls while driving real circularity.
We'll cover why regs level the playing field, unlock infrastructure, and move past pilots, plus footwear specifics, eco-modulation, and actionable steps for multi-market brands.
Hi everyone, I'm Amy Campanella, and welcome to Thread Talks. And I've got my special guest with me here today, Ava McKenny Colwell, the UK FT's compliance manager. Ava, welcome. Thank you for joining us. Thank you for having me. Ava, you are in a compliance leadership role at UKFT. Could you tell us a bit more about UKFT and what they do?
SPEAKER_01Yes, so UKFT is the largest network for apparel and textiles brands and retailers in the UK. We have quite a large network of members. So anything from fibre to yarn to fabric manufacturing, garment manufacturing brands, retailers, and we also now have end of life, so reuse and recycling members, so collectors, sorters, graders, etc. So we've kind of got this full circle, full loop of businesses within the supply chain. So there's two sides to my role. I advise our members on their current global regulatory obligations. So any regulation that applies when finished placing a finished product on the consumer market, there are obligations that they will need to meet. So I support them with those. And the other side of my role is working with the UK government, the European Commission, and other policymakers on developing new regulations for our sector. So that might be sustainability legislation, product safety legislation, helping them develop it so that it's practical and feasible for businesses and also efficient and works.
SPEAKER_02So you've got the side of your role where you're supporting the brands and retailers that are impacted by existing and upcoming legislation, and then you're also there supporting with the development of new legislation within the UK and beyond, or is it mostly UK focused?
SPEAKER_01More so EU at the moment. Yes. So we do a lot of work uh with the European Commission, and we're also at UKFT as a member of EuroTex. Uh so we will do a lot of uh position papers and and feedback to the European Commission through EuroTechs.
SPEAKER_02Tell us about that transition, how you went from working for the brands to supporting the brands, and how your knowledge in garment technology helps you in your current role.
SPEAKER_01Uh I started as a garment technologist. Um I have been a garment tech, a fabric tech, and a product technologist, working across a range of product, uh, anything from children's product, children's apparel to adults' apparel, um, swimwear, footwear, um, so very multi-product. What I do now is quite different, um, and uh it's you know really useful to have that experience and also industry experience working at UKFT as a trade association, um, having that industry experience and understanding you know the people that you're speaking to. Obviously, we we support so many people within our you know, brands and retailers, uh, and and luckily I have that experience to be able to understand what it's like on the other side and how to deliver information in a way that they can implement uh their obligations into the business, and I understand how those businesses work. Some of them I used to work at.
SPEAKER_02So, as a garment technologist, it's all a big portion of that is about product safety and how and what how a product needs to be designed to be placed on the market. And does that link into legislation that you're working on now?
SPEAKER_01Yes, yeah. The UK government uh is is interested in product safety at the moment. It was part of the budget, uh, so it's an area that they're looking into. I did have an inkling it would be in there on the basis that um the Department of Business and Trade have been speaking to us quite regularly on product safety since August last year. So, yes, we're we're aware that that's of interest, and we've been speaking to other organisations who also are interested in product safety developing in the UK. We've seen that the European Commission has updated the general product safety regulation in Europe. Quite significant changes were made. Um we're we're not recommending that the UK government do that. Um, but we are um you know, there is a need to improve the safety legislation that we have, um, particularly with um you know online buying behaviour um increasing, and we need to make sure that those products entering the UK are just as safe as they would be if they were made by UK businesses. So product safety is definitely uh the on the UK government's agenda.
SPEAKER_02Online sellers, tell us a bit more about that and and the challenges behind that for product safety, even for wider legislation as well.
SPEAKER_01It's not necessarily a concern. There's obviously many online platforms that um are responsible in in how they uh place product on the market. Um, but there are some players that uh are selling online on marketplaces and platforms where the product safety could be improved. Um, and and we see that in recalls. So we do see quite a lot of product recalls for certain online platforms.
SPEAKER_02So going back to legislation, there's an awful lot of acronyms out there. We've got EPR, ESPR, general product safety. What's your favorite and what's your least favourite and why?
SPEAKER_01I would say my favourite is probably the GPSR. Uh slightly different now in the UK to the EU as the EU's updated theirs. Um on the basis that uh the general requirement of that legislation is that the product placed on the market must be safe. Uh, and your interpretation of that is is is up to the business. Um there are some legislative requirements, there are some standards that need to be met, uh, but generally it is the business's choice as to how they ensure that the product is safe and make all reasonable choices as to make as to making sure that that product is safe for the market that it's being placed on. Um so I think that one is probably one of my favourites. One that is potentially our members' least favourite it would be uh those with significant obligations. Some pieces of legislation that are being released have multiple obligations for businesses. Uh, so the PPWR is a very good example. Um, there is an extensive list of obligations within that one text, uh, and that text isn't the only text of the PPWR. We are expecting uh implementing and delegated acts which will introduce new obligations. So um the PPWR is probably uh one of our or will be one of our members' uh least favourites uh in terms of the just the amount or number of obligations within it.
SPEAKER_02PPWR, a challenging piece of legislation that UKFT members are now facing. Tell us about how UKFT supports members and the process.
SPEAKER_01We read and interpret the legislation for businesses. Uh it means that they don't have to do that. They don't have to read a piece um piece of legislation every time it is uh published. I used to work in these businesses. I know that you don't have the time to read, interpret, uh, pull out the obligations and then actually action them all. Uh so we do all of that work for them. Uh there then they can focus on the actions, which is what they what they actually need to implement and what they need to comply with in their business. With the PPWR, um which is one I am working on at the moment, uh, has involved uh reading the text. There are significant obligations in it. Uh there's a there's a lot of requirements that businesses will need to meet over a period of time as well. So sort of a phased-in approach of obligations. So we are pulling it apart, making sure that we know what the obligations are. We're pulling the parts, pulling out the pieces that businesses need to know and putting it into a guide or a resource. Uh we will also do a webinar, which obviously some some people do prefer information being given to them in a verbal format, um but we will also have written formats as well. Uh so that guide will have their key obligations, how they need to implement them, uh, and any supporting resources as well. So that regulation in particular has reporting obligations or or declarations. Uh so we've we've written a guide specifically on how to create the declarations. Uh, so they will have everything they need as like a toolkit to then be able to uh implement uh the requirements into their business. There's also we are waiting delegated acts and implementing acts, and unfortunately that does mean that what we produce for them that they need to comply with on the 12th of uh August 2026 is likely to be updated as and when those implementing and delegated acts are released. So we will always make sure that our guides are updated. The European Commission is is adding extra text to the sort of a as like a framework. So the regulation, the legislative text will be released as like a framework, uh, and then delegated acts, implementing acts will be um released at a later point, sometimes before, and that'll uh outline obligations. So it's kind of a a delegated act is the what and the implementing act isn't is normally a bit more of the how to do it to meet the framework of the regulation.
SPEAKER_02What are some other framework legislations like PPWR that are impacting brands and retailers?
SPEAKER_01I think one of the biggest ones is probably the ESPR, so the Eco Design for Sustainable Products Regulation. The text as it stands um outlines the obligations as to where we think it's going to head into what direct or into sort of show what direction it's going to head into. Textiles and apparel is going to have its own delegated act. So the delegated act for textiles and apparel is what we are expecting it to be called. Uh, inside that delegated act, it will have a list of obligations. Um there's a lot of research going into that as as it's likely to include uh likely to include recycled content or something around recycled content, uh recyclability, uh a DPP obligation where some of this information will need to be disclosed digitally, um, and uh repairability, durability, robustness um type obligations. So uh it we're you know we're awaiting that delegated act. We don't know what that looks like at the moment, but the ESPR, uh there are quite a lot of moving parts, uh, so quite a quite a piece of legislation that that that's affecting our industry, quite a new piece of legislation as well. We've seen it on electronics and batteries, we've not seen that type of uh legislation uh for our sector. Uh so it'll be really interesting to see uh how that is formed. Uh UKFT play uh a key role in in helping shape these uh regulations and making sure trying to make sure uh that they are uh feasible, workable, and practical for businesses. Um but ultimately until we until we see that text, businesses won't know what their obligations are.
SPEAKER_02There are so many delegated and implementing acts that we're waiting for around frameworks like ESPR for the DPP, digital product passport. Tell us a bit more about the work UKFT does to help influence that legislation.
SPEAKER_01We do a lot of regulatory advocacy, uh, so speaking on behalf of industry um through calls for evidence, through consultations, directly with the European Commission, um, directly with DG GROW at the moment in respect to the TLR and ASPR. Um we do work quite closely with the UK government, uh, so we do quite a lot of work. We'll we'll respond to as many consultations as we can to get the industry's um voice heard, uh, and we will also um liaise directly with um policymakers. Um we had an instance a couple of weeks ago where um the DG GROW requested direct responses um on a on a tolerance threshold in in the TLR just because it was something that they were looking at um and and needed quite quick um responses on. So we responded, you know, with it, I think it was within 24 hours we we've provided that feedback for them. Uh so yeah, it's it is very varied in how we how we work with policy makers. We speak to our members obviously quite regularly, um, making sure that we are um you know including what they would like and and making sure that their voices are all heard.
SPEAKER_02You are reading through a lot of legislation. Do you find any time to read anything other than legislation? Or do you have legislation being channelled in it? Can you get legislation on a Kindle in the evening?
SPEAKER_01Um it's so important to get it right. Um we uh make sure that everything that we include in our guides, our resources, our webinars can be relied on, and that our interpretation is uh as correct as we as we know it to be, and making sure that businesses know what their obligations are. We would never want a business to to work on implementing something that they don't need to, especially when a piece of legislation is more vague and written for multi-sector. Um it's making sure that the any obligations that are clearly in there for the electronic goods sector or uh or a different sector, we we we make sure that our businesses don't, you know, don't have those in their in their guides and resources. They then know that they don't need to implement them. So yeah, it's uh lots of reading um and and making sure that uh the information that we provide is is accurate.
SPEAKER_02What is one of the most surprising policy shifts that you've seen, given all of your reading and investment in understanding what's kind of taken you by surprise?
SPEAKER_01I think more generally the sustain a lot of the sustainability legislation, I think we we know why it's um you know why it's being implemented, we know that there's a need, we know that our sector is a problem in terms of the environment and sustainability. Some of the legislation is just very new. Um, you know, from the European Union it is brand new. Um, you know, we we don't have anything to compare it to. Uh they are taking a brand new approach, they've got nothing to base it on. Um so you know, this this process is learning for for them as well. They are leading this this charge as such. Uh so it's it's definitely new for all of us, really. You know, when we're we're reading the draft um texts that are being written, uh it's always interesting because you you work on it for so long, you help develop it, but then when you read the text, sometimes there's things in there that you didn't expect. Uh, sometimes there's there's things that don't make sense because obviously it's all brand new. Um, so you know there's not an awful lot to compare it to unless it's being compared with some of the legislation that France has taken forward already. So there are some French decrees where they've taken sort of the basis uh forward uh ahead of the European Union, but generally sort of sustainability legislation is is new and it's an interesting read.
SPEAKER_02And there's been a bit of a rollback on that with the omnibus?
SPEAKER_01Yes. Yes. The European Commission is quite focused on administrative burden and cost on businesses. Uh it's definitely something that they are considering uh in, you know, just to make sure that businesses are not overwhelmed. Um, so it has been of interest, particularly in the last 12 months. Uh, we've seen the CSRD and CS Triple D, which is the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. We've seen the scope and thresholds heavily changed within the last 12 months, and we've seen them go into an omnibus on the basis that the reporting obligations on businesses were were too much. That's where it's been changed. It's not that the EU is uh you know taking a U-turn on sustainability legislation, it's that it's not feasible, it's not practical for businesses. There's a few other omnibuses that we are aware of. Um we have been asked to provide a list of which legislation should be written into some of these omnibuses. Um the majority that we've suggested to go in is those with heavy reporting burdens. Uh, so making sure that businesses don't have that administrative burden of reporting to the European Union on things that they're doing right. So they're they're the types of legislation that we're seeing going into omnibuses.
SPEAKER_02Where are we now with textile legislation? Where are we heading and where do we need to be?
SPEAKER_01There's a lot of legislation under development. We are aware of a lot of them and we're we're you know we're working very closely with policymakers uh to you know make sure that they are um developed correctly for businesses or developed in in a in a feasible in a way that's feasible for businesses. In terms of where we're at, there's a fair few that are on hold. Uh so the EU Green Claims Directive, for example, was put on hold in June 2025 for for a variety of reasons. Uh there was a lack of agreement on how it should proceed. Uh again, uh administrative heavy. Uh there was um you know requirements for for scientific disclosure of environmental claims, or that's where it was headed anyway. Uh so there's there's there's quite a few like that where they've been placed on hold. Quite a few are you know being worked on and worked on quite quickly. So the SPR, we are seeing movement. So, you know, that one's definitely uh moving along, and and we I think we're gonna see a bit of a delay with the delegated act uh in 2027, likely to be pushed towards the end, towards the end of 2027 at the moment, um, in terms of it entering into force, not applicable for businesses. Um, but various pieces are moving at different points. Key things that I see affecting our sector this year uh are USE filing, um, which is digitalizing the US border, uh, and everything needs to go through the ACE system. Every product has an additional um step for the CPSC. Um so USE filing, which is 8th of July 2026, and the PPWR, um which is the 12th of August uh 2026. So they are the two main uh obligations or regulations that I would be focusing on um this year if I worked in industry. I think there are um, you know, there's a lot of information um available um which suggests that businesses should be working on other things. They're the two that I would probably focus on this year. And obviously existing obligations, uh anything that's currently in force.
SPEAKER_02And what are we looking at right now, what's currently in force? Because you're talking about sorry, was it the USE filing in July and then PPWR in August? Yes. A fun summer for everyone to look forward to. Great months to implement.
SPEAKER_01So and and what's happening right now? In our sector, their obligations are to make sure that the product is safe, that the labelling is correct, that there's the correct translations, that it complies with the EU and UK TLR. Um, so that's the textile labelling regulation, what is mandatory and what isn't mandatory on the care label. Making sure that those mandatory elements, um, if they require translation, are translated is is definitely uh something I would point out. We are aware of active market surveillance in certain countries. Um making sure that uh commodity codes are correct, um, you know, no one wants products stuck at the border, making sure that all of that trade import export is done correctly. There are some packaging EPR schemes that are very much effective right now, so um making sure that you're compliant with those, uh, and then there's obviously quite a lot of sustainability that's that's coming in.
SPEAKER_02UKFT supports British brands, manufacturers throughout the supply chain. However, a lot of these businesses are placing on the market internationally. Looking at things from a global perspective, how important is harmonization with legislation?
SPEAKER_01That would be the dream. Is that the blue sky, the the pipe dream, yeah? Yeah, it's it's something that we um we speak to the American Apparel and Footwear Association about. Uh having that that harmonised approach would be amazing. Um, businesses would um absolutely support um having a more harmonised approach. But unfortunately, um different parts of the world and different countries have different um you know objectives, they've got different goals. Uh obviously, what we're seeing over in the US at the moment is is more sort of country of origin and trade focused, so duty focused. Uh, and what we're seeing in the EU is a bit more sustainability focused. And certain countries in the EU have a very different focus. Um, so we we are aware that Portugal is very active on their translation market surveillance if Portuguese isn't on the label. They are seizing product, and we've had quite a few businesses where their product has been seized. But that that varies. Spain is very active on checking that commodity codes are correct and will hold goods to check that the commodity code is correct. So it really does depend on what the you know what market surveillance in each country are told to look at, what border control are looking at at that period of time, what's their agenda for the year. As much as we'd love um harmonisation, I think it it will always unfortunately not be um not be so. Um and navigating obviously all of those different requirements um I'd like to think is is where we sort of come in and we can help businesses with that.
SPEAKER_02So what's some advice that you would give brands and retailers to stay on top of what they need to do now and still have an eye on what's coming imminently without getting overwhelmed?
SPEAKER_01I think it's it's talking to an unbiased um source of information. Many businesses have partners, um, you know, warehouse logistics partners in the EU, um you know, they're based in the EU, they might have um, you know, information on what's happening, um, obviously a trade association like ourselves, but but any any um business um or you know trade association or an area, an organization where the the information being provided is is uh of an unbiased source, I always think is is is a great way to um stay on top of obligations. We're speaking to an individual or a business where their obligations are very confused and and they're not sure how to prioritize. Um they might be working on compliance to a piece of legislation that doesn't even exist yet, um, rather than uh focusing on something that's happening next week. Uh so we we we're often helping um helping people and businesses um just sort of re-prioritize, uh, and I think being able to to offer that is is is really valuable. Um, you know, it's probably saving a lot of time, but also saving a lot of money for businesses by being able to reorganise um their priorities and making sure that they're working towards the right thing.
SPEAKER_02What is a common misconception that you find yourself often debunking when it comes to legislation and what brands and retailers think they should be doing versus what they should actually do?
SPEAKER_01There is a lot of misinformation um being uh spread on certain legislative requirements. Um, many of them don't exist yet. A lot of the brands and retailers that we work with, um, we would we would recommend making sure that you've got that information coming from an unbiased source. Our sort of mission as such is to make sure that uh businesses are not um missold products or services that they don't need, especially when it's to comply with a piece of legislation that more often than not doesn't exist yet. Product safety, GPSR?
SPEAKER_02Yes. Information labelling and package reduction. Are those two competing a bit? We're trying to reduce packaging, but then we also need to have more information on products. How do we strike that balance?
SPEAKER_01That's an excellent question. It isn't mandatory to um include suffocation warnings, for example, on polybags. Um many businesses do it because of the GPSR, and uh the GPSR is ever so slightly vague in that it doesn't set out your specific obligation, it just tells you to make sure that what you're placing on the market is safe. Uh so you know by adding that suffocation warning, you are um you know being reasonable in line with the GPSR, um, but as soon as you add a warning, it requires translation. Um, so you'll end up with a bag with a list of translations. That's obviously an issue with minimization when you're trying to reduce the size of your polybag. It'll be interesting to see how businesses um deal with that. Potentially, they could remove the warning itself and the translations uh and add the suffocation holes that shows some some level of due diligence. Uh so that would probably be my recommendation. But um, yeah, no, very good question. Um it we are and we are starting to see that. Um we are we're suggest raising those types of issues um when we're discussing um these these regulations with policymakers, we're saying, does that obligation that you're suggesting for for the delegated act for textiles and apparel uh actually contradict what you're setting out to achieve in product safety?
SPEAKER_02What have we not covered today that you think would be important for brands and retailers to know about the work that UKFT are doing?
SPEAKER_01We've spoken a lot about legislation, um, but that isn't all that UKFT does. Uh we um are a trade association looking after all parts of the supply chain. Uh we do a lot of work in facilitating introductions, um, so to the likes of um Reconomy and Valpack, uh making sure that businesses um you know know where they can go when they need external third-party support, um, you know, helping with with with all sorts of uh you know things to run a business. We have an international business team who travel the world really and help our particularly our smaller businesses, but not just our smaller businesses, um, on getting their products sold internationally. Um we have a sustainability team who focus much more on sustainability best practice and what can you actually do if you're trying to you know be a better business. Um we have a communications and marketing team. Um our CEO regularly speaks um to uh you know the UK government and ministers um on sort of wider frameworks and policies for for the sector. Um and we do loads of work with textile manufacturing, um, technical textiles, uh so it's you know it's a it's a much broader network than than than policy and regulation, um and and it's it's a really nice network um to be part of.
SPEAKER_02There is a legislative roller coaster out there. We're on our way up, maybe we've had a little bit dip this of dip this week with a couple of delegated implementing acts coming out. One piece of advice that you could give brand and retailers, what would it be?
SPEAKER_01Monitor your obligations and don't comply with things prematurely because it might change. Great bit of advice.
SPEAKER_02And if anyone listening would like to reach out to you for more advice and support, what's the best way to get a hold of you and the UKFT?
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. Um our website. Um so I'm sure if we are if you search um UKFT will be coming up. Uh and yeah, email us. Um we love to hear from the industry regardless. All the work that we do is is for the industry regardless of whether they're members or not. It's very welcomed uh for uh new businesses uh to reach out um to us uh and and have a conversation about um sort of the membership benefits that we offer um and specifically the tailored um regulatory support that that I provide. Um businesses are welcome to reach out um and and know more. We're we're on LinkedIn um and we're also on Instagram, um, so so different avenues, different platforms, ways to get in touch.
SPEAKER_02Ava, it's been an absolute pleasure. Thank you so much for joining us today. Thank you.
SPEAKER_01Thank you for having me. It's been really lovely to be here.
SPEAKER_02This has been a Circular Sound Bites podcast from Reconomy. Thank you all for listening. If you've enjoyed listening to Circular Soundbites today, check out more on all the major streaming platforms, or visit our YouTube channel. Or if you'd like to learn more about Reconomy in the Circular Reconomy, check us out on LinkedIn or visit us at Reconomy.com.