Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is rapidly expanding into the textile industry, but how will it actually work in practice, and how can brands prepare?

In this episode of HappyPorch Radio, Barry O’Kane speaks with Gerrard Fisher, co-founder of WEFT, a company helping brands understand the circularity of their products and prepare for future EPR systems.

Gerrard explains how eco-modulation could link the design of products directly to the costs of dealing with them at the end of life. By analysing product data, brands can begin to see which materials, designs and product categories are easier to recycle and which could create higher costs in future circular systems.

They also explore the broader opportunity of using this data not just to manage regulation, but to help guide product design, improve recycling infrastructure planning, and give consumers clearer information about sustainability.

✨ In this episode:

1. Gerrard explains how Extended Producer Responsibility works and why it’s becoming a major issue for textiles
2. We explore eco-modulation and how it could financially reward products that are easier to recycle or more durable.
3. Gerrard shares consumer research suggesting shoppers are surprisingly open to small EPR charges on clothing.
4. We discuss how product data can help brands map the circularity of their portfolios and make better design decisions.
5. Barry and Gerrard explore how WEFT prototyped its product using AI coding tools before building a more robust system.
6. We discuss the importance of aligning incentives across policy, business and consumer behaviour to make circular systems work.

👤 About our guest:

Gerrard Fisher is co-founder of WEFT, a company helping businesses explore the circularity of their products and understand how they may be affected by future Extended Producer Responsibility systems.

WEFT works with brands to analyse product data, generate circularity scores, and model how eco-modulated fees could affect product portfolios and business costs. Gerrard has extensive experience in product stewardship and waste policy, focusing on how data can help build more effective circular systems.

📌 Mentioned in this episode:

WEFT - https://www.weft.org.uk/

CalRecycle PRO application - https://calrecycle.ca.gov/epr/textiles/textileproapp/

🌍 About HappyPorch

HappyPorch is a purpose-driven software engineering consultancy focused on the circular economy.

Learn more: https://www.happyporch.com

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