WASHINGTON – A new report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), highlights growing concerns about the rise of textile waste in the U.S. and urgent need for coordinated federal action to tackle the issue. The report suggests that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other federal entities must work together more effectively to reduce textile waste and advance recycling efforts.
In 2018, the EPA estimated that 66 per cent of US textile waste ended up in landfills, while only a small fraction was recycled. This new report suggest textile waste contributes significantly to the U.S.’s overall waste problem, with the country seeing a marked increase in textile waste over the last two decades.
The GAO’s findings suggest the expansion of this fast fashion business model since the turn of the century is one of the primary drivers of the rising volume of textile waste.
Federal efforts to reduce textile waste have been fragmented and insufficient, according to the report. While some agencies, such as the EPA and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), have taken steps to address the issue, their efforts are often isolated and lack the coordination necessary for meaningful progress.
For instance, NIST has led workshops on reducing textile waste, and the EPA plans to develop a national textile recycling strategy in the next five to ten years. However, the report says these efforts have been more exploratory than concrete, and there is a lack of a comprehensive national strategy to address textile waste.
One of the key recommendations from the GAO is for the federal government to establish a more unified and coordinated approach to textile waste management. The report calls for the creation of an interagency collaboration that would allow various federal bodies to pool resources, share expertise, and coordinate efforts more effectively. Such collaboration, the report argues, would help streamline the development of recycling technologies, improve data collection, and support the growth of a circular economy for textiles.
Textile recycling, however, remains in its infancy. Current recycling technologies, such as mechanical and chemical recycling, have limitations, particularly with blended fabrics like polyester-cotton mixtures. The report highlights that most textile waste is post-consumer, meaning it has already been used by consumers and discarded, often into municipal waste streams. While post-industrial textile waste is easier to recycle due to its predictability and uniformity, post-consumer waste poses significant challenges. Additionally, the lack of infrastructure to sort and process textiles effectively makes it difficult to divert these materials from landfills.
The absence of a nationwide textile waste data collection system further exacerbates the issue. While the EPA has collected data on textile waste, the numbers are often incomplete or outdated. The report calls for better data collection practices, as well as greater transparency regarding the volume and types of textile waste being generated in the U.S. This data could inform more effective policies and strategies for textile waste reduction.
The GAO’s report also touches on broader concerns related to the environmental impact of textile waste. Textiles are often made from synthetic fibers, such as polyester, which are particularly problematic in terms of recyclability. The use of synthetic fibers has grown rapidly in recent years, making it even more difficult to recycle textiles at scale. Furthermore, the disposal of textiles containing harmful chemicals, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), raises concerns about the long-term environmental and health risks associated with textile waste.
In response to these challenges, the report recommends that Congress consider providing clearer direction to federal agencies, including the EPA, to focus on textile waste reduction and recycling. Specifically, the GAO suggests that Congress could empower a single agency or create a new federal entity tasked with coordinating national efforts on textile waste and recycling.