This week marked another milestone for Roberts Recycling and the wider UK textile recycling sector, as Director John Roberts attended the Houses of Parliament to take part in an important policy discussion on the future of textiles.
The event, hosted by Policy Connect and the All-Party Parliamentary Sustainable Resource Group (APSRG), brought together industry experts, policymakers, and academics to explore how the UK can transition from a linear to a truly circular textiles economy. The session focused on the impending introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for textiles and the steps needed to improve supply chain coordination, infrastructure investment, public engagement, and regulation.
John attended the event in his capacity as a board member of the Textile Recycling Association (TRA), helping to represent the views of collectors, processors, and textile reuse businesses across the UK.
With Roberts Recycling operating one of the UK’s largest textile reuse and export operations, the company plays an active role in advocating for practical, scalable solutions to support the industry’s shift towards circularity.
“It was a pleasure to be part of such a valuable discussion and to hear the perspectives of policymakers and peers from across the sector. Events like these are vital for shaping effective policy, and it was also great to catch up with Karishma Gupta from Eslando, a company we’re proud to support through our angel investment in innovation and circularity.”
John Roberts, Director, Roberts Recycling
Chaired by Tristan Osborne MP, the session featured contributions from:
- Alan Wheeler, Textile Recycling Association
- Elizabeth Ricketts and Mary Sarkodie, The Or Foundation
- Aimée Campanella, Reconomy
- Dr Mark Sumner, WRAP
- Dr Martin Holicky, Matoha
John’s participation reflects Roberts Recycling’s growing presence in shaping national policy conversations on textile waste and sustainability. The business is proud to support a future in which textiles are kept in use for longer, and where robust systems are in place to reduce waste and maximise reuse.
For more information on Eslando, visit www.eslando.com.
To learn more about the APSRG’s work, visit www.policyconnect.org.uk.
