California governor Gavin Newsom (D) signed a bill into law on 28 September that will establish the US's first extended producer responsibility (EPR) textile recycling program.
The law (SB 707) requires producers of apparel or textile articles in California to create a producer responsibility organization (PRO) that will handle and recycle textiles and apparel across the state, under the supervision of California's Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle).
SB 707 is the first EPR system for clothing that has passed in the US and leaves a lot of leeway to the PRO and CalRecycle in implementing the law. It provides relatively few details about how the EPR program will work and does not set any minimum recycled targets.
The law was written by California State Senator Josh Newman (D) and was supported by textile industry participants and recyclers.
"To achieve (our corporate goal of becoming a circular business by 2030), we must partner with policymakers to support efforts in creating more circular systems for textiles and other products," IKEA US Sustainability Manager Mardi Ditze said following the bill's passage. "We applaud Senator Newman for leading a collaborative process with industry stakeholders on SB 707 and support efforts to increase textile circularity in California and across the US."
The PRO is required to provide free textile recycling drop-off centers for residents of California, and CalRecycle is authorized to impose monetary penalties against producers for violations of the program's requirements under the bill.
Producers will be expected to join an approved PRO by 1 July 2026, and the EPR system is planned to begin enforcement on 1 July 2030.
