Associate, Nina Dang Campaign, et al. “Is Waste Finally Going out of Fashion? What to Know about California’s New Fabric Recycling Pilot Program.” CALPIRG, 1 Dec. 2022, https://pirg.org/california/articles/is-waste-finally-going-out-of-fashion-what-to-know-about-californias-new-fabric-recycling-pilot-program/.
Many clothing items are often burned or sent to landfills when they are recycled or donated. However, a number of people think they are better off being recycled, and do not know the actual fate of that item. This happens to 85% of the textiles that are “recycled” in the US. This process is labor intensive and emits tons of emissions and waste. Bill 1187 is currently being passed and strives towards better textile recycling in California.
The environment is mostly affected by the amounts of waste that humans are producing. The textile industry actually fabricats 10% of the world’s pollution whether that be extreme amounts of water pollution, emissions manufactured from textile factories, or landfill waste from unwanted clothing items. It is important for states like California to take a stronger initiative in these situations and actually pass bills that will work against this industry’s waste. These bills actually push people to be obedient to the requests made by the government and advocates regarding the climate crisis. This is the least we can do to decrease global warming and waste/emissions. California will always be a trailblazer and one of the environment’s number one supporters in the US. Any bill that is put out by the government is a great step to take in my opinion.
It is interesting to hear how textiles take up 10% of the globes emissions. How will the bill actually reduce the waste from these discarded garments, and what are some of the processes that will take place?
I agree with your comment that people’s “recycled” clothing should not be going into landfills or getting burned. I’m curious to know more about California’s fabric recycling program. Does it repurpose fabric to create new pieces? What role does the government play in this? Unfortunately, people frequently buy more clothes than they need so it makes sense that the textile industry is so polluting.
It’s sad how many varying factors contribute to climate change. Many most likely picture factories and oil mining when thinking of major pollutants, and the factors like burning extra clothes do not seem nearly as prevalent. It’s important that these articles gain larger audiences so more can see the effects of fast and wasteful fashion.