A Look at California’s First Take-Back Law for Textiles

What comes to mind when you think of plastic waste? For many, it’s the photos depicting miles-wide patches of fishing nets, plastic bags, and beverage bottles afloat in the ocean. Fair enough. But over recent years, a lesser-known source of plastic pollution has been quietly piling up right under our noses: synthetic textiles. Between clothes and homewares such as curtains, rugs, and furniture, Americans buy, use, and discard a staggering amount of plastic-based fabric without a thought.

According to Earth.org, about 92 million tonnes of textile waste is produced every year. That’s about a dump truck every second. For further perspective: despite 95% of textiles being reusable or recyclable, only 15% are currently getting reused or recycled. Even more alarming is that fast fashion—an industry heavily reliant on synthetic fabrics—is on track to generate as much as 134 million tonnes per year of textile waste by 2030. 

How Big Is the Problem?

The fabrics we throw away aren’t treated much differently than standard household garbage. With consumers, manufacturers, and retailers all discarding millions of tons of plastic-based textiles each year, they often wind up in mountain-sized piles that sit in landfills waiting to be buried.

Here’s why: The appeal of synthetic textiles—exceptional durability at low cost—is a double-edged sword. Unlike the natural fibers in wool or cotton, synthetics like nylon and polyester can take hundreds of years to biodegrade. And because these materials are so affordable to make and purchase, the volume of waste is incredibly high. In fact, according to statistics compiled by the Public Interest Research Group, Americans only actually wear about half the clothes they own. And considering that an estimated 65% of new clothes produced are thrown out within 12 months, it seems that consumers aren’t at all shy about disposing of barely-used items.

The problem? As the refuse piles up, the land it’s kept on is rendered unsightly, unusable, and uninhabitable. Further, the tiny bits of fiber that come off this trashed clothing end up circulating through our soil and waterways as microplastics. While scientists and doctors aren’t yet sure how these microplastics could affect our health as exposure increases over time, we do know that they’re now easily found in our air, food, drinks, and even our bodies.

California Takes Aim at Fast Fashion

This growing problem is the reasoning behind California Senate Bill No. 707 which Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law at the end of September. As the first “extended responsibility” and “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.

Specifically, the law mandates that over the next several years, California’s apparel and textile producers must establish and join a state-approved and -monitored “PRO” or Producer Responsibility Organization that will plan for and manage the sustainable collection, transportation, repair, sorting, and recycling of all textiles made in the state. And although a full and functional program is still a ways off in the future, the law does require intermediate steps. For example, by 2026, thrift stores will feature mandatory collection sites where customers can dispose of their worn-out clothes. By 2030, producers, processing partners, and state agencies will have constructed a more complete plan, including mail-back programs and widespread dropoff locations.

What Does This Mean for Apparel and Fast Fashion Brands?

As the issue of textile waste creeps further into the public consciousness, it’s likely other states will begin to push for similar legislation. Simply put, it’s not a matter of “if” but “when.” The biggest question, then, is how relevant brands and retailers should respond to such policies.

One of the best ways to address the issue of returned apparel and apparel waste is to leverage the secondary market. A B2B recommerce platform in particular can play a pivotal role in reducing waste at scale while enabling companies to recoup losses, protect their brand, and remain compliant. 

B2B Recommerce: A Head Start on Waste Reduction

There is a robust secondary market and buyer base for returned merchandise across all categories and conditions. Consider this: the recommerce market is currently outpacing the primary market due to a number of factors, including resale acceptance, new buyers and sellers, sustainability, and budget-friendly options. The apparel resale market in particular is growing 15x faster than the primary and the demand for used clothing has never been greater. This presents a good opportunity for apparel brands and retailers facing legislation (not to mention those facing backlash for burning or landfilling items). 

Many of today’s largest brands and retailers are already leveraging B2B recommerce and resale channels for returned and pre-worn items. 

Best Practices for Moving out Your Unsold Apparel

While legacy methods of inventory reduction are simple enough, they’re often not streamlined or scalable enough to address a problem like overflowing apparel inventory. Today’s leading recommerce platforms, however, are global, flexible, fully managed, and built on data. Here are some best practices that you should consider when exploring recommerce platforms and developing your inventory reduction program through modern secondary market-based solutions.