California Governor Signs Textile Recycling Bill into Law

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed off on a law that will make brands responsible for ensuring old clothes are established at the end of their life.

The bill was approved by state legislators last month, with the Governor’s signature its last remaining hurdle.

The move is the latest sign that the growing volume of old clothes winding up in landfill is attracting increased regulatory scrutiny. In 2021, roughly 1.2 million tonnes of textiles were discarded in California. Nearly all of that volume was reusable or recyclable, but only 15 percent ever made it back into the market, according to the office of state Senator Josh Newman, who introduced the California bill.

Under the new law, brands with global turnover of more than $1 million will need to help establish and fund a programme to enable the reuse, repair and recycling of clothes and fabric sold in California.

Similar programmes, known as extended producer responsibility schemes, have already been introduced in some European countries, but California’s would be the first in the US.

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California Wants Fashion Brands to Pay for Waste

A bill that would make brands responsible for making sure old clothes don’t wind up in landfill could pave the way for other states to take action on textile recycling.