Textile recycling: Pitti joins forces with Retex.Green. The EPR regulation remains on hold

It’s not just about new materials, collections and trends. The future of Italian fashion also encompasses circularity, which is both a strategic lever and (soon to be) a legal requirement.The importance of this issue is reflected in the agreement between Pitti Immagine and Retex.Green, a not-for-profit consortium of manufacturers in the textile and fashion supply chain, founded in March 2022 and supported by the then Sistema Moda Italia (now Confindustria Moda-Federazione Tessile Abbigliamento), the Italian Textile Foundation and some of the sector’s leading manufacturers.

Thanks to the agreement, exhibitors at Pitti events will be able to join Retex.Green and, as a benefit, have their 2026 membership fee waived, whilst gaining access to expertise, tools and services to support the transition. ““The collaboration with Retex.Green stems from a desire to provide exhibitors with expertise, tools and a concrete vision of the circular transition,” said Pitti’s CEO, Ivano Cauli, “so that the new European regulatory challenges can become an opportunity for innovation, growth and enhanced competitiveness.”

The Retex.Green consortium was established following the entry into force of Legislative Decree 116/2020, which introduced the obligation to collect textiles separately in Italia – a full three years ahead of the EU timetable. The legislation also established extended producer responsibility (EPR) for the textile, clothing and fashion sector and set up the consortia, which act as the hub around which the collection of materials – which must subsequently be recycled – revolves.

In reality, the scope of Retex.Green’s operations, like that of the other consortia established under the same legislation, is limited: there is, in fact, no interministerial decree (from MASE and MIMIT) that would give concrete effect to the EPR obligation. The decree – which has been the subject of lengthy discussions – was due to be published in the first quarter of 2026, but as this deadline has also been missed, publication could reasonably take place in September.Pending the entry into force of the national legislation, and in view of the European EPR obligation for textiles due to come into effect in April 2028, Retex.Green – currently managed at an operational level by Safe, a hub for the circular economy already active in the WEEE sector – is focusing on ‘educational’ initiatives, with the aim, for example, of encouraging companies to reduce their production of textile waste, but also by providing updates and support to businesses in the sector (there are 37,300 in the textile and clothing sector, the majority of which are SMEs) as they adapt to the upcoming obligations. “This partnership has been established with the aim of transforming a major systemic challenge into an opportunity for growth and value creation for the entire supply chain,” said Mauro Chezzi, deputy director-general of Confindustria Moda and Retex.Green’s representative.