If your business already prepared for Spain’s original textile EPR decree, would you know the new waste targets it now sets? On 27 May 2026, Spain’s Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge published an updated draft Royal Decree regulating textile and footwear products and the management of their waste. The revised decree now formally incorporates Directive (EU) 2025/1892, which was adopted by the European Parliament and Council in September 2025.
The most significant changes concern waste management targets. The updated decree reduces the 2030 separate collection target from 50% to 30% of waste generated, while extending the 70% target from 2035 to 2040. In exchange, the decree introduces firm recycling targets for the first time — 25% of separately collected waste by 2030, rising to 35% by 2040 — alongside new recovery targets for textile waste found in the residual municipal fraction. Previously, recycling targets had been deferred to a future review.
| Target | Previous Draft | Updated Decree (May 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Separate collection (2030) | 50% of waste generated | 30% of waste generated |
| Separate collection (2035/2040) | 70% by 2035 | 70% by 2040 |
| Recycling of separately collected waste (2030) | Deferred to future review | 25% |
| Recycling of separately collected waste (2040) | Deferred to future review | 35% |
The revised decree also introduces new obligations for larger producers. Those holding more than 2.5% of the national market in a given year will be required to develop and publish eco-design and waste prevention plans covering product lifespan, recyclability and the reduction of hazardous substances and microplastics. Plans will carry a five-year validity period.
Additionally, collective EPR systems must now allocate a minimum of 10% of their income to research and development, including industrial-scale fibre-to-fibre recycling, and at least 5% to prevention activities — minimum thresholds that were absent from the earlier draft.
Two new transitional provisions allow existing voluntary EPR systems to adapt their authorisations within six months of the decree entering into force, and defer harmonised producer register formatting requirements to a date to be set by the European Commission.
This is not a fundamental departure from the original decree but a fine-tuning of the included information ahead of formal publication, which is anticipated to occur in 2027.
Spain’s revised textile EPR decree softens near-term collection targets but, for the first time, sets firm recycling targets and R&D funding minimums for collective EPR systems — a sign that the regulation is maturing from a framework into an enforceable system. With formal publication anticipated in 2027, producers with more than 2.5% market share should start scoping eco-design and waste prevention plans now.
If you’re already tracking Spain’s textile EPR requirements, read our original breakdown of the Spain textile EPR draft decree for full background on scope, obligated producers and registration timelines.
Need help preparing for Spain’s textile EPR obligations? Contact Valpak today to find out how we can support your compliance strategy ahead of the 2027 publication.