A state bill, SB 707, could add new requirements for clothing providers to encourage recycling instead of throwing clothes in the dump. The Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024 would require some producers of apparel and other textile products in the state to make and join a producer responsibility organization, or PRO. It would have a complete plan for apparel and textile articles, including recycling, as well as safe and proper management.
Shasta Environmental Alliance President David Ledger told, he thinks it’s a good start to preventing clothes from ending up in landfills. “That requires a lot of water to grow cotton, and so it is something that can be recycled and used again for other things,” Ledger said. “I would just want to see that they enforce so that it doesn’t go to a landfill in another country, and that they are able to recycle it at least in some instances.” At Clothing Revival in Redding, their store’s team pays people for their clothes, getting the best quality items they can to then resell to the community.
Their Manager, Trinity, said more clothes are brought in at certain times of year, like back to school season, or when locals are getting creative for a little extra cash. “We make so many clothes that end up in the trash can at the end of the day. Wouldn’t it be better just to give you money for them so that someone else, if they want them, could get it for cheaper?” Trinity said. “We sell $60 to $80 pants for 20 bucks sometimes. People really prefer that… It’s a good payout.” She added, “There’s way too many clothes that are great that just don’t get reused.”
The bill is still in the early stages of approval before reaching Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.
