ACT Statement CA SB 707
It’s exciting to see California SB 707, Responsible Textile Recovery Act, pass over the weekend—an important milestone in holding the fashion industry accountable for its waste. This bill, which ACT (American Circular Textiles) helped shape, includes several key improvements: funding for reuse, recycling, and repair initiatives; an expanded definition of recycling technologies; support for private and nonprofit participation in sorting, reuse, and recycling efforts; a needs assessment; funding aligned with the waste hierarchy; mailback and in store collection included among the viable collection points; eco-modulation incentives; and market dynamic support to foster circularity. The critical improvements ideally help further support reuse and recycling in the state, and if effective, catalyze further circularity efforts at the global level, since California is the world's 5th largest economy in the world.
However, SB 707 also underscores the urgent need for a federal waste policy. Without one, we risk a patchwork of state-level bills that can create fragmented and inconsistent regulations across the country. We face the potentials of sustainability teams turning focus and resources to compliance, over innovation and true progress. A unified federal approach would streamline the system, prevent disjointed efforts, and better enable businesses to comply across state lines.
For these policies to truly succeed, the fashion industry must now partner with industry groups who have been on the frontlines advocating well drafted policy that works for businesses and the environment. The industry can no longer rely on voluntary commitments—accountability is now law. Defensive advocacy is the most costly. By working with organizations like ACT, businesses can better navigate this transition, share best practices, and collaborate on the innovations that will define a circular economy. SB 707 is a signal that the future is here, and it’s time for real partnership between industry and industry groups to make it a reality.
- Rachel Kibbe, CEO American Circular Textiles (ACT) and Circular Services Group
