Textile-to-textile recycling. AI-generated image for illustration purposes. Credits: FashionUnited Textile Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is no longer a distant, future policy concept. With growing awareness and policy debate about the scale and challenges of textile waste across the United States, more and more states are looking to implement textile EPR. A policy that would make producers and importers responsible for managing textiles from production through end of life, textile EPR schemes are already being rolled out across Europe, with France and the Netherlands leading the way, it's clear that the policy is rapidly becoming an operational reality that US fashion brands, retailers, and textile producers can no longer afford to just monitor passively. The main takeaway from a recent webinar organized by the American Circular Textiles (AMCIRC), a coalition of industry members working to advance national textile policies that support domestic production, supply chain resilience, and circular growth, AMCIRC, together with a panel of experts, examined the 2026 outlook for state-level textile EPR legislation in the United States. With California passing the country's first textile EPR law in September 2024, the Responsible Textile Recovery Act (SB 707), and Washington and New York actively exploring similar legislation, plus the preparation for mandatory textile EPR by 2028, American brands are facing a convergence of regulatory pressure across major markets. AI image wardrobe / too many clothes Credits: FashionUnited "Companies don't just need supportive policies. They need support navigating policy and a collective seat at the table," pointed out Rachel Kibbe, founder and…
