US Government issues first-ever report on Textile Waste: a wake-up call for Fast Fashion and Federal Policy
For the first time, the United States government has officially recognized the growing problem of textile waste, releasing a federal report that highlights the issue and proposes coordinated action to address it. The report, spearheaded by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), details how textile waste in the U.S. has surged by over 50% between 2000 and 2018, driven largely by fast fashion and an inadequate national system for recycling and reuse.
In addition to environmental concerns such as microplastics and toxic chemicals leaching into land and water as textiles rot in landfills, the report outlines seven federal recommendations. These include expanding textile recycling efforts, reducing overall waste, and establishing funding opportunities across federal, state, and local levels. A key proposal is the formation of an interagency task force, uniting six major federal entities including the Environmental Protection Agency, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Department of State, Department of Energy, and National Science Foundation to lead the charge.
However, the agencies quickly resisted the call for cross-agency coordination, casting doubt on the implementation of the report’s recommendations. Despite the pushback, the GAO has stood firm, maintaining that such collaboration is essential to real progress.
This historic report was prompted by Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME), who founded the congressional Slow Fashion Caucus to combat pollution from the fast fashion industry. While the GAO’s findings echo long-standing concerns from within the fashion and sustainability sectors, experts emphasize that its true significance lies in its existence marking a shift from silence to acknowledgment at the federal level.
Still, acknowledgment does not guarantee action. Experts warn that without robust infrastructure and a strategy that aligns with real consumer behaviors, progress will remain elusive.
The system needs to make sustainable actions intuitive and easy,
Brittany Sierra, founder of the Sustainable Fashion Forum.
Private sector engagement, experts argue, will be critical to driving change. Rachel Kibbe, CEO of Circular Services Group, notes that without industry pressure, the issue could be left to fragmented and burdensome state regulations.
If the private sector doesn’t step up and demand action, we’ll be stuck with a patchwork of costly and ineffective state laws,
Kibbe warns
One glaring omission in the GAO report, critics say, is the lack of attention to economic potential?
There’s a powerful case to be made for job creation and innovation in textile recycling. We need to focus not just on the environmental crisis, but also on the economic opportunity. That’s what will get policymakers and businesses on board.
says Kibbe
