SPUNJ Sustainability Consulting’s Post

Here is some news I wanted to share: California became the first state to introduce EPR for textiles - The Responsible Textile Recovery Act. A few key points are: ✶ By January 2026, producers—including those who sell, offer for sale, or distribute apparel and textile products—must create or join a producer responsibility organization (PRO). This organization will establish free collection points for used textiles. 👕 ✶ By March 2027, the PRO must carry out a needs assessment to identify the investments and steps needed to collect, sort, reuse, repair, and recycle post-consumer textiles. This assessment will also guide the implementation of an eco-modulated fee and the rollout of a statewide consumer education program.🧤 ✶ By July 2030, all producers must be part of a PRO, paying annual fees based on their sales volume and eco-modulated fee criteria for managing post-consumer textiles. Very interesting to see CA's effort to manage textile waste. Link to press release: https://lnkd.in/gmCWFfCr #textile #california #senatebill #extendedproducerresponsibility #wastemangement #recycling

Textile #recycling trade associations say the industry is on the brink of collapse, but critics say it never existed to begin with. Beyond the noise, is there an opportunity for change? Last month, Textile Recycling International Limited — a UK firm that collected, sorted and exported secondhand textiles — entered administration. A week later, the UK’s Textile Recycling Association issued a statement, claiming that many more were also facing imminent financial threats. They cited problems like overflowing sorting facilities, the crisis in the Red Sea disrupting shipping lines, rising taxation from African and Asian markets, #fastfashion flooding the #secondhand market with low-quality goods, and mounting pressure from legislators to curb the export of textile waste. Legislation is far off from industry reform, and the real issue unspoken in these warnings is that the textile-to-textile recycling industry has never gotten off the ground. Here's everything to know.

California’s statewide textile recycling proposal is officially back in play. A little over a year after it was first introduced, SB 707, rebranded as the Responsible Textile Recovery Act, has been “restructured and refined” to include input and new language from textile and apparel industry stakeholders as well as sortation and recycling experts. Now, it’s headed to the Assembly Committee of Natural Resources for a hearing on July 1. Proposed by State Senator Josh Newman last March, the bill aims to make producers of fabrics and clothing sold within the Golden State liable for the fate of their waste, which might otherwise be destined for landfills. If signed into law, it would mandate that the industry fund an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program for discarded garments and textiles. Under the platform, a Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) would manage the collection, sortation and recycling of the recovered goods. #textiles #recycling #california #epr #sustainability #sb707 #responsibletextilerecoveryact #legislation

💥Just signed today ♻️ Senate Bill 707 (SB 707), the Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024, has been signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom. This groundbreaking legislation establishes the country’s first Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) textile recycling program, marking a significant step forward in the state’s efforts to combat waste and promote sustainability. Under its provisions, SB 707 creates a framework for producers and other participants in the value chain to take responsibility for the entire lifecycle of their products and textiles, including repair, recycling, and reuse of garments and fibers. Once implemented, SB 707 will not only reduce the amount of textiles sent to landfills but will also support the development of upcycling and recycling across California and help address the environmental impacts of “fast fashion” and the “throwaway culture” it has abetted. #textiles #textilerecycling #circularity

👏 A huge win for sustainability in the fashion industry! SB 707 is a crucial step toward a more responsible and circular future for textiles. Excited to see how this will drive innovation in recycling, upcycling, and responsible production. Let’s keep pushing for industry-wide change! 🌍♻️ #Sustainability #CircularEconomy #SB707 #FashionRevolution #ExtendedProducerResponsibility

Wefast:🌿 **Embracing Sustainability in Textiles: The GRS Journey** 🔄 In our continuous quest to make fashion more sustainable, it's essential to shed light on standards like the **Global Recycle Standard (GRS)**. Initially established by Control Union Netherlands in 2008 and later entrusted to the influential hands of American Textile Exchange, GRS has set benchmarks for textile recycling practices. If your business revolves around garment manufacturing, embracing GRS means committing to a rigorous chain of compliance that starts from sourcing recycled materials through TC certificates all the way down your production line. It’s not just about meeting these standards—it’s about ensuring every link upstream does too, including dyeing houses, greige fabric suppliers, and yarn manufacturers. The GRS certification isn’t merely a label; it's an assurance for retailers and consumers alike: - To understand what parts of specific products are made from recycled materials. - To know how these materials are managed throughout the supply chain. Here's a quick dive into what obtaining this certification entails: ♻️ **Traceability Criteria** 1️⃣ Guidelines for product transportation and certificate usage. 2️⃣ Regulations over procurement control. 3️⃣ Management guidelines. 4️⃣ Quality control protocols. 5️⃣ A meticulous calculation method using mass balance accounting for both GRS and non-GRS materials. 🏞 Environmental Standards 1. An environmental policy manual must be part of certified companies’ arsenals. 2. Comprehensive records keeping—chemicals used, energy consumption, water use & wastewater management inclusively with sludge treatment rules laid out clearly:   - No discharge without proper treatment or local authority processing.   - Cool wastewater below 40°C before release if necessary. 3. Any pH levels outside 6–9 range must be neutralized accordingly. 👥 Social Criteria Applicable across all stages of certified chains but starting at waste collection sites—these criteria work towards improving health & safety measures as well as workers' rights within this domain. 📛 Labelling Grades & Usage Guidelines surrounding label registration and symbol usage ensure transparency in marketing claims tied to sustainability efforts. ⚖ General Principles Inspection protocols maintain high standards across participating entities while adhering strictly to defined terms such as 'pre-consumer waste' which differs significantly from 'post-consumer waste.' By understanding these requirements underpinning GRS certification—manufacturers can truly lead their industry towards responsible production processes that respect both people and planet.  #GRS #TextileRecycling #FashionForGood#knitted#woven#Sustainable Shanghai Wefast Textile Co.,Ltd Email: kevin.kang@wefast.com.cn WhatsApp/WeChat+86 159 5827 0291 Woven and Knitted｜Sustainable Wool and Wool-like Fabrics｜GRS Cert.

🌎 About 92 million tons of textile waste is produced every year. That’s a dump truck every second. For further perspective: despite 95% of textiles being reusable or recyclable, only 15% currently are. A new California law aims to tackle all this. In this week’s blog we’re breaking down California Senate Bill 707. As the first “take-back” law of its kind, it seeks to reduce the amount of clothing that ends up in landfills and makes textile producers responsible for the waste they create. #recommerce

#California has just passed a law mandating #textile companies to set up systems to collect and recycle post-consumer waste, including used clothes, by 2030. This is the first piece of legislation making #ExtendedProducerResponsibility (#EPR) mandatory in the textile industry in the US, and aims to tackle the 11 million tonnes of clothes that end up in landfills every year. From July 1, 2030 at the latest, apparel manufacturers will need "a complete plan for the collection, transportation, repair, sorting and recycling, and the safe and proper management" of their used products in the state. Non compliance could lead to fines of up to US$10,000 per day – US$50,000 per day for intentional violations. https://lnkd.in/esZmzu4v #Circularity #CircularFashion #ChiefSustainabilityOfficer #TextileWaste #SustainabilityPolicy

As German textile collector and #recycler SOEX enters administration, Mohammed Patel, business development manager at Textile Recycling Association (member of EuRIC - The European Recycling Industries), discusses the challenges that lie ahead for the EU and UK used #textile industry. See the full article 👇

Did you know that a textile’s EPR was passed in September of this year in California? You may have missed it as not everyone loves recycling news as much as the next person ;) With the continued popularity of the fast fashion industry, the amount of textiles that end up in landfills continues to grow. Legislation like this is necessary to continue to redirect investment into making the circular economy work and reducing waste that ends up in landfills. If you’d like to learn more about what this means and what impact it will have, check out this article by Recycling Today. #recyclingnerd #recycling #CircularEconomy #EPR https://lnkd.in/gNCkeJWB