California is One Step Closer to Tackling Fashion Waste

SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): Introduced by California State Senator Josh Newman, The Responsible Textile Recovery Act (SB 707) has successfully advanced through California’s legislature and is now waiting for Governor Newsom’s signature. The bill would require clothing companies operating in California to create and fund a program to help clothing get reused, repaired, and recycled. This aims to tackle our overarching problem of waste and overproduction in the fashion industry.

The fashion industry is the fastest growing waste stream in the US, and according to the EPA, only 15% of textiles are actually recycled. The Responsible Textile Recovery Act would give many of these clothing items a second chance, whether they are repaired, resold, or recycled into new materials.  Our serious waste problem is largely ​​driven by fast fashion, a type of fashion that produces cheap, trendy clothing for low cost. These items don’t last long, and they’re not intended to. Companies aren’t making clothing that’s built to last in order to encourage customers to keep buying more and more.

In our current system, manufacturers have no incentive to minimize the waste they create – they are only incentivized to grow their profits. But if The Responsible Textile Recovery Act is signed into law, companies– not ratepayers and taxpayers– will be held financially responsible for what happens to their products after they’re used.

Courtesy: www.wasteadvantage.com