Who pays for fashion's 'just transition'?
In this episode of Ecotextile Talks, host Philip Berman speaks to Niall Maplesden, Director of The Knowledge Nexus, about the potential unintended consequences of the EU's Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). Niall recently explored the issue in Ecotextile News, asking whether policies promoting durable clothing, repair, reuse and circular textiles could affect order volumes for garment factories and their supply chains. Drawing on more than 35 years in the textile industry, Niall explains why any reduction in production could be felt beyond brands and tier-one suppliers, by smaller subcontractors, informal garment workers and, further upstream, cotton farmers. The discussion looks at the need for 'a just transition' for the people producing the world's clothes. Niall argues that, if the circular economy creates new work in sorting, reuse, repair and textile recycling, that investment should not be concentrated only in Europe. It should also help create jobs and infrastructure in major textile-producing countries, including Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, where the effects of changing demand may be most keenly felt. Key Topics Discussed: • The ESPR and durable clothing: How the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation could reshape textile and apparel design. • Circular fashion and consumption: Could repair, reuse, resale and longer-lasting garments affect demand for new clothing? • Garment workers and supply chains: Why subcontractors, informal workers and satellite factories may be particularly exposed to changes in order volumes. • Cotton and fibre production: How reduced demand for virgin fibres could affect cotton farmers and textile-producing regions. • Textile EPR: Whether Extended Producer Responsibility fees could help fund circular-economy infrastructure and transition support. • Responsible purchasing: The role of brands in maintaining stable, fair supplier relationships as the apparel industry changes. • A just transition: How the environmental benefits of sustainable textiles can be shared more fairly across global fashion supply chains. This episode is brought to you by our partner PICVISA a Spanish machine-vision company that builds AI‑driven optical sorting systems for waste, including dedicated solutions for textile sorting and recycling. If you want to read Niall's original article