Two on Textiles - Endless Possibilities When Processes Are In Place
Speakers
Moderator
CVSan's Textile Collection Program
Track
HHW/Hard to Dispose
Speakers
Naomi Lue, Castro Valley Sanitary District
Title
Zero Waste Supervisor
Speaker Abstract
Castro Valley Sanitary District (CVSan) developed a curbside and event-based Textile Collection Program with its contractor, Alameda County Industries (ACI), upon the inception of their Franchise Agreement on May 1, 2019. The residential program consists of two Textile Collection Weeks, collection during Recycles Day events, and recovery from on-call curbside Bulky & Reuse Pick-Ups. Tonnages have far exceeded expectations of the program. Materials are processed and shipped to destinations domestically and in Central America for resale, reuse, and recycling. Attendees will learn how CVSan created its program for replication in their jurisdiction.
Moderator
Leaders in Textile Reuse and Recycling from Publicly Funded Pilots
Track
HHW/Hard to Dispose
Session Description
California’s textile waste stream is more complex than imagined. Publicly funded textile pilots share insight on the growing waste stream and challenges for creating a recovery program aligned with the waste hierarchy. Brand leaders have invested in siloed textile recycling initiatives, and need other brands and government to join in to scale the impact. Similarly, Goodwill sees opportunities to expand sorting and grading to add repair streams in their business model, as modeled by a pilot funded by the San Francisco Department of the Environment in partnership with the California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC). CPSC leads four textile recovery pilots in the state to characterize commercial textile waste, model different models of collection, and expand their textile handlers database. Los Angeles has an opportunity, as a major global fashion market center, to grow as a sustainable fashion hub and LA SAN commits to leadership in this area.
Since 2020, CPSC has been hosting a Statewide Textile Recovery Advisory Committee who published a report for policy makers at every level of government, advocating to:
- Fund and protect the garment reuse and repair infrastructure ASAP;
- Lead by example with green purchasing and pollution prevention;
- Expand regional fiber production and manufacturing to support circular and healthy textile systems;
- Textile waste is a complex problem that can’t be solved on the public’s dime, so industry funding is mandatory to relieve the unfair cost-burden on charities, waste managers, and secondhand clothing markets, which disproportionately impact vulnerable communities.
Speakers
Michael Simpson, LA Sanitation
Title
Division Manager
Speaker Abstract
As the lead agency for the City’s environmental programs and initiatives, LA Sanitation (LASAN) protects public health and the environment through the administration and management of infrastructure programs collect, treat, recycle, and dispose the solid and liquid waste generated by the nation’s second largest city of more than four million residents. Los Angeles has an opportunity, as a major global fashion market center, to grow as a sustainable fashion hub and LA SAN commits to leadership in this area by funding pilot projects.
Linda Pratt, Goodwill
Title
Project Manager
Speaker Abstract
Goodwill of San Francisco, San Mateo, and Marin’s guiding principle is that everybody deserves a second chance—and everybody deserves access to training, job opportunities, and support to succeed in our economy. Goodwill collects post-consumer goods, including textiles and clothing, and sees opportunities to expand sorting and grading through new technologies, job creation, and strategic collaborations.
Joanne Brasch, California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC)
Title
Special Projects Manager
Speaker Abstract
The California Product Stewardship Council leads four textile recovery pilots in the state to characterize commercial textile waste, model different models of collection, and expand their textile handlers database. Textile waste is a complex problem that can’t be solved on the public’s dime, so industry funding is mandatory to relieve the unfair cost-burden on charities, waste managers, and secondhand clothing markets, which disproportionately impact vulnerable communities.