Statement: Landmark clothing recycling program tackles fast fashion waste

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – With his signature on the Responsible Textile Recovery Act (Newman) Saturday, Gov. Gavin Newsom confirmed that California will establish the first industry-funded statewide clothing recycling program in the country. The new law requires clothing companies to create and fund a statewide collection and recycling program for fashion waste, shifting the cost of waste management from the state to manufacturers.

Gov. Newsom signs this legislation as the need to tackle clothing waste mounts. Globally, one dump truck of clothing and textile waste is sent to a landfill or incinerator every second. In addition to creating huge amounts of waste, the fashion industry contributes high carbon emissions, extensive plastic waste issues, and a pervasive spread of toxins to the global environment. This summer, Congress even launched the first-ever Slow Fashion Caucus to address mounting concerns about the fashion industry’s impact on the environment. Now law, the Responsible Textile Recovery Act provides, for the first time in the United States, an incentive for fashion companies to reduce their overproduction and consider the recyclability of their products.

In response, CALPIRG Legislative Advocate Fiona Hines released the following statement:

“Clothing companies are making more clothing than we can wear. Too many of these garments are destined for a landfill or incinerator after never being worn. By making companies pay for their own waste, we can encourage them to be more conscious of their output. We are hopeful this nation-leading law will reduce clothing waste and lead us towards a future where we produce quality clothes that we can repair and reuse longer, and recycle when they reach their end of life.”