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Driving Textile Recovery in NYS

Through Policy and Partnerships

The 34th Annual Conference & Trade Show

Wednesday November 15, 2023, 2pm

The Federation of New York Solid Waste Associations Conference with Trade Show

May 19, 2021

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Sustainable and circular fashion policy is a rapidly emerging field that’s quickly picking up speed. Policy covers a range of topics like product stewardship, chemical restrictions, emissions reductions, supply chain transparency, waste management, materials sourcing, labor laws, claims; labeling; education; and more.

Sustainability, government affairs, and compliance professionals have a lot to pay attention to amid a diverse and disjointed field.

Policy approaches, legal contexts, and regulatory requirements vary from place to place, units of government vary, and brands and retailers operate across markets.

The challenges are many but the promise for a better more circular tomorrow is enormous. More than ever we need policy to support us in the transition to circularity.

Today our expert panelists will discuss what’s what in textile and fashion policy across the globe and what they’re doing to advance change. (slide with panelist pics and names and orgs)

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Audience Poll

Who are you here representing?
What do you want to learn today about fashion policy?
What biggest challenge do you think policy can address?

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Q&A

We will have Q&A at the end – Please ask questions!!
You can submit via the Whova app
You can like and upvote questions
You can raise your hand IRL

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Agenda

Context Setting (10 min)
Panel Introductions (25 min)
Panel Discussion (40 min)
Audience Question & Answer (15 min)

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Managing change �in a resource-constrained world.

ORGANICS MANAGEMENT

WASTE �RECOVERY

GLOBAL CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY

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TEXTILE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION

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Source: Ellen MacArthur Foundation 2017

Source: Textile Exchange 2022

According to textile exchange, global fiber production has almost doubled in the last 20 years and is expected to reach 149 million metric tonnes by 2030 if business as usual continues. Some estimate that this translates into over 150 billion items of clothing per year – and that’s just the apparel fraction of the fiber usage.

In 2017 EMF published a Sankey diagram charting the 2015 flow of textiles globally. 97% of overall inputs for textiles were virgin feedstocks, meaning new material and primarily new plastics. 73% of end-of-life textiles went directly to landfill or incineration at end of life, in addition to losses during production (10–20%) and and losses during retail (up to 30%); for a total loss rate of approx. 35% of initial inputs.

While the denominator has no doubt increased since then, it’s likely that the percentages flowing into the various end market channels has not changed much. Today, most textiles produced still follow a linear model and end up sent to landfill or incineration. The vast majority of inputs in plastic production today are from virgin feedstocks—resources that are being consumed at a higher rate than they can regenerate—a few percent are from recycled plastic bottles, and less than one percent is from closed loop textile to textile recycling.

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30% unsold: https://irispublishers.com/jtsft/fulltext/perspectives-of-textile-waste-management-in-the-us-a-review.ID.000716.php

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TEXTILES WASTE IN THE UNITED STATES

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Source: EPA

ANNUAL COST TO COLLECT & DISPOSE OF TEXTILES IN THE U.S.,

2000-2020

RRS analysis

2018 US MSW: 17 MILLION TONS TEXTILE WASTE

OF 292 MILLION TONS TOTAL MSW

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TEXTILE WASTE IS GROWING FASTER THAN ANY OTHER MATERIAL IN THE US WASTE STREAM

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PERCENT CHANGE IN ABSOLUTE TONS AND TONS PER CAPITA WASTE GENERATION 2000-2018

RRS analysis based on US EPA data

80%

55%

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TEXTILES IN NY’S WASTE STREAM

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In 2017, New York State residents and businesses threw away almost 1.4 billion pounds of textiles, including: clothing, footwear, belts, hats, handbags, drapes, towels, sheets and other linens that could be reused or recycled

NYS

NYC

Sources: NYS DEC; DSNY

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SIX ELEMENTS OF A SOUND RECOVERY VALUE CHAIN

Widespread convenient collection systems

Regional textile sorting facilities (textile MRFs)

Optimized reuse; mechanical and advanced recycling technologies to convert inputs into global commodities

Compelling outreach that drives engagement with consumers, brands, and communities

Thoughtful supportive policies that create a level playing field and incentivize textile recovery and infrastructure development

Innovative strategic partnerships that increase the circularity of pre-consumer and post-consumer textiles and decrease textile waste going to landfill

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This begs the question how do we transition from today’s underutilized but overtaxed textile recovery system to a circular economy with all textiles in constant flow?

In our work at RRS we’ve consistently identified six key elements of a sound recovery value chain.

First, we need widespread collection systems. Ones that are convenient and easy to use.
Next we need regional textile sorting facilities that can sort to local end market specifications. Waste should be sorted as close to the source of generation as possible to maintain economic and environmental efficiencies. Once sorted, we need smooth pathways for reusables to go back into resale and we need commercialized mechanical and advanced recycling technologies to convert non-rewearables back into supply chain feedstocks;

3. Of course, None of this would be possible without robust and reliable end market demand from brands and manufacturers. We need supply chain uptake agreements to support this recycler economy;

4. Education and engagement is critical as well. We need compelling evidence of the benefits to drive engagement with consumers, brands, and communities;

5. Thoughtful supportive policies can create a level playing field and incentivize textile recovery and infrastructure development; and

6. Finally, we need to work together to fund infrastructure development and scale solutions.

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CURRENT PROJECTS

Consumer survey
Textile waste composition analysis
Demonstration textile sorting facility
Investment roadmap

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Consumer survey
Composition analysis
Generation and diversion estimates
Textile recovery infrastructure and stakeholder mapping

NYSAR3 Textile Council
2024 Priority: Extended Producer Responsibility

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Speakers

MARISA ADLER

Senior Consultant & Textile Practice Lead

RRS

Moderator

DR. ANNA KELLES

New York State Assembly District 125

BRIAN KAVANAGH New York State Senate 27th District

JOYEL BENNETT

Goodwill of the Finger Lakes

LISA SCIANNELLA

Chief of Staff

Helpsy

JESSICA SCHREIBER

FABSCRAP

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Assemblymember Anna Kelles

BSc in biology and environmental studies from Binghamton University (1997)
PhD in nutritional epidemiology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (2008)
Tompkins County Legislature (2015–2020)

Key legislative focus: public health and environmentalism

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State Legislation

The Fashion and Social Accountability Act

Groundbreaking piece of legislation that holds companies accountable and levels the playing field for those already trying to do the right thing
If passed, it will establish New York as the global leader in thoughtful accountability for the fashion industry

Textile Extended Producer Responsibility

Extends producer responsibility for textiles by requiring a producer to submit to the department of environmental conservation a plan for the establishment of a collection program for textile covered products no later than December 31, 2024

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lisa@helpsy.co

www.helpsy.co

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Hi, we’re Helpsy

Helpsy’s mission is to keep clothes out of the trash, provide honorable work, and earn growing profits.

�We are a Certified B Corp and Public Benefit Corporation.��We are proud to meet high standards of verified social and environmental performance.

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Why We Do What We Do

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Helpsy Operates 3 Lines of Business

Collect

30 MM lbs/yr

1,200 locations

10 states

Source

Proprietary sorting tech�Supply 6,000 thrift stores and resellers

Trading

12 MM lbs/yr brokered

Used clothes, shoes, toys, household items

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Thank You

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