A US Bill Proposes the First National Plan for Textile Waste

On 23 September, Representative Chellie Pingree, founder of the Congressional Slow Fashion Caucus, introduced the Textile Waste Reduction Act. The bill builds on the first Government Accountability Office report on fast fashion pollution, which Pingree and Representative Rosa DeLauro requested in 2023.

What the Bill Sets Out

• A National Textile Circularity Strategy led by the Environmental Protection Agency.
  An interagency working group and an advisory board to coordinate federal action.
• Annual EPA data on how much textile waste the country generates and how it is managed.
• A published list of federal funding open to states, tribes, local governments and non-profits.
  

The bill is at an early stage and must pass both houses of Congress to become law. Its direction is clear, though. Governments now want to measure what fashion throws away. Shoppers can stay ahead by keeping clothes longer, repairing what can be fixed and choosing pieces made to last.