What We Believe.
1
RESPONSIBLE FASHION INDUSTRY OVERSIGHT CAN PRODUCE ECONOMIC AND SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL OUTCOMES.
Similar to other industries that have transitioned to more sustainable manufacturing and generation business models like energy, construction, and transportation, a fashion pivot is needed. Americans are some of the largest consumers of fashion globally but that comes with a cost. The Fashion industry is responsible for up to 10% of global carbon emissions¹, consumes 1.35% of global oil production³⁰, and results in the excess of billions of garments that end up in landfills or incinerators. Thoughtful policy is critical to address the fashion industry’s environmental impact and move the market toward sustainable circular business models.
2
TEXTILE WASTE IS COSTLY.
Textile waste is our nation’s fastest growing waste stream, costing American taxpayers and ratepayers over $4B annually. US landfills are our third largest methane emitter³¹. Textile waste has increased 80% since 2000³², now comprising nearly 8% of all U.S. landfills³³. Unlike paper, bottles, and cans, there are few domestic policies supporting the end-of-life recovery of textiles. We only recover an estimated 15% for reuse and recycling³⁴. The remaining textile waste is hauled to landfills and incinerators, which disproportionately pollute disadvantaged communities³⁵ in the United States. Furthermore, much of the 15% collected cannot be effectively reused because it is of low value and quality. Many low quality goods are exported to the Global South, imposing negative environmental and social consequences on communities that lack waste management or recycling infrastructure. Regulatory measures are needed to encourage improved garment quality, reduce overproduction, and incentivize domestic collecting, sorting, reuse, and recycling infrastructure.
3
EDUCATION IS KEY.
We are committed to developing educational opportunities for consumers and policy makers in order to drive awareness of the true cost of fashion. Education will unlock circularity’s growth potential for positive social and environmental impact. U.S. consumers must be educated on reuse as an accessible, affordable, and more environmentally-friendly alternative to linear apparel and footwear business models.
4
CIRCULAR BUSINESSES GENERATE U.S. JOBS
We can forge a net-new domestic green industry. Positions range from entry level, with on-the-job training, to highly skilled technicians and technological innovation. Circular business models will reinvigorate our domestic fashion and manufacturing industries and have the power to help safeguard our domestic supply chains.
5
COMPANIES CAN GROW SUSTAINABLY.
Ready-to-go circular business models exist and can be adapted and scaled to drive revenue through higher utilization of the clothing that is already produced³⁶. Resale, rental, repair, and recycling business models are blueprints for a new type of economy that can decouple revenue from overproduction. These models can be bolstered by supportive policy, now.
6
THE WASTE HIERARCHY IS IMPORTANT ³⁷.
Reduction, reuse, and recycling, should be prioritized over energy recovery and disposal for end-of-life textiles. Reuse has a 70% lower environmental impact than new textile production, and every garment reaches its end of life and could be recycled rather than landfilled or incinerated. Reuse provides widespread access to affordable fashion, offsets the need for primary material production, and defers a garment’s true end of life; recycling offers an opportunity to recapture valuable resources, turning them back into new.
7
FUNDING CIRCULAR SOLUTIONS WILL LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD.
For circular solutions to replace linear we need widespread, accessible logistics and infrastructure. We need well designed systems that facilitate consumer access to convenient and affordable programs for used fashion and usher in new technological innovations and end markets for recycled materials. These should include collection, sortation, recommerce, remanufacturing, and recycling infrastructure.
8
CIRCULARITY BY DESIGN.
We need to design for circularity, with a focus on durable, recyclable, products intended for longevity, repair, and ease of disassembly. This will facilitate reuse as well as recycling. Circular business models should be incentivized over virgin fashion production in order to eliminate the landfilling and destruction of usable products and materials.
9
FASHION CIRCULARITY STANDARDS AND DEFINITIONS ARE NEEDED.
For example, the terms “reuse”, “recycle”, “recycled materials”, and “downcycle” are often conflated, misleading consumers. Standards and definitions will enable increased transparency, improved garment labeling, and provide an improved policy and oversight framework.