Thinking of throwing your old clothes in the trash? In California, doing so may soon be a distant memory, after the state passed the nation’s first clothing recycling law. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sept.
28 signed Senate Bill 707, the Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024, which establishes the nation’s first “extended producer responsibility” textile recycling program. The law requires clothing producers and other players in the supply chain to manage the entire lifecycle of the products and textiles they sell to consumers. The stated goal is to reduce the amount of apparel and textiles sent to landfills, while promoting reuse and recycling.
According to the Assembly appropriations committee, California’s Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery estimates the law will cost $3.3 million per year for the next two years and $4.6 million for the year after that.
State Sen. Josh Newman (D-Fullerton), who introduced the bill, said the law will “help address the environmental impacts of ‘fast fashion’ and the ‘throwaway culture’ it has abetted.” “The framework created by SB 707 will create new opportunities for every Californian to participate in a more sustainable future,” said Newman in a statement.
“By 2030, convenient drop-off locations for used textiles across the state will provide everyone with a free and simple way to be part of the solution.” The law imposes penalties of up to $10,000 per day for producers who fall out of compliance, or up.