Korean Textile Collection Rate Targets and EPR Policy Design: Lessons from France's Collection Rate Framework

As the expansion of fast fashion and the shortening lifecycle of apparel products intensify the environmental burden of the textile and clothing industry, the European Union (EU) has introduced stringent regulatory measures, including the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). These policies promote the introduction of the Digital Product Passport (DPP), prohibit the destruction of unsold goods, and encourage the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes for textiles. In particular, France, under the Anti-Waste and Circular Economy Law (AGEC), has established a data-driven governance framework centered on the Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) Refashion, systematically linking market placement, collection volumes, and treatment pathways to set phased collection targets. This study analyzes France's collection rate framework and proposes a policy-oriented model for establishing textile collection targets and introducing an EPR system in Korea. Based on official French reports, the study reconstructs the collection rate calculation mechanism and applies this framework to examine Korea's market placement and textile waste generation structure. The estimated supply-to-waste conversion rate (approximate collection rate) for domestic textiles and apparel in 2023 is approximately 36.1%. The findings emphasize that discussions on collection targets in Korea must be preceded by standardized statistical definitions and an integrated data infrastructure, and propose phased collection targets: short-term (above 20%), medium-term (40%), and long-term (60%), alongside a PRO governance design framework.