The United States faces a growing textile waste crisis fueled by the rise of fast fashion—an industry trend characterized by cheap, disposable clothing. Millions of tons of apparel and household textiles are discarded yearly, overwhelming landfills, releasing greenhouse gases, and polluting ecosystems with microplastics and toxic chemicals.

A new report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Textile Waste: Federal Entities Should Collaborate on Reductions and Recycling Efforts, warns that addressing the problem requires significant investment in the recycling infrastructure and innovation. California took the lead in this effort, establishing the nation’s first textiles extended producer responsibility law, which will require the fashion industry to support recycling infrastructure starting in 2026. The GAO highlights how the rapid turnover of low-cost, low-quality fashion has driven a 50% increase in textile waste over the past two decades. An Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) study found that textile waste in municipal solid waste (MSW) increased by approximately 80% between 2000 and 2018.

The GAO report calls for a national textiles strategy focused on improving recycling technologies, expanding collection systems, and transitioning to a circular economy. Federal agencies like the EPA and the Department of Commerce are beginning to act. Yet, the scale of the challenge demands industry participation and a rethinking of recycling and clothing manufacturing business models to prioritize sustainability. Without decisive action, textile waste’s environmental and social costs will only worsen.

The Environmental Challenge of Textile Waste

Textile waste—from apparel to carpets and towels—significantly contributes to environmental degradation. Each year, approximately 17 million tons of textiles are discarded in the U.S., with only 15% being recycled and the remainder ending up in landfills or incinerators. This waste decomposes slowly, emitting methane—a 25 times more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide—and releasing toxic chemicals such as PFAS into surrounding soil and water systems.

Synthetic fibers, which account for over 60% of global textile production, exacerbate the problem. These fibers release microplastics during use and disposal, polluting waterways and marine ecosystems. Research indicates synthetic textiles are among the largest contributors to global microplastic pollution. Another recent study found that textile-related microplastics make up a significant portion of microplastics in landfill leachate, which can infiltrate groundwater and harm aquatic ecosystems.

The environmental toll of textile waste extends beyond greenhouse gases and water pollution. Landfills, the primary destination for textile waste, are rapidly depleting available space, leading to habitat destruction and the creation of new landfill sites. Additionally, the energy-intensive production of textiles, particularly synthetic ones derived from petroleum, contributes significantly to global carbon emissions.

A Framework for Change: Industry and Government Roles

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) spearheads efforts to develop a national textiles recycling strategy within 5 to 10 years. The strategy is rooted in transitioning from a linear economy, where textiles are produced, consumed, and discarded, to a circular economy emphasizing reuse, repair, and recycling. Federal entities such as the Department of Commerce and the Department of Energy are collaborating to:

• Improve Textile Recycling Technologies: Research into mechanical and chemical recycling methods aims to create scalable systems for breaking down textiles into reusable fibers. Learn more about these initiatives in the EPA’s Sustainable Materials Management Program.
• Enhance Data Collection and Infrastructure: The lack of standardized data about textile waste has prevented progress. By working with states, municipalities, and industry stakeholders, federal agencies aim to build robust collection and recycling networks to document the volume of textiles waste that reaches landfills. This effort ties into the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Program.
• Encourage Interagency Collaboration: Efforts to formalize collaboration across federal entities could drive innovation and streamline textile waste reduction programs. The EPA outlines such cross-agency goals in the National Recycling Strategy.

Integrating Textile Recycling with Broader Systems

Integrating textile recycling with other recycling streams, such as plastics and organic materials, could accelerate progress across the entire recycling system. But too often, waste streams are addressed as separate problems. Textiles containing synthetic fibers share significant similarities with plastic waste, opening opportunities for advancements in polymer recycling technologies to be applied across these streams.

Organic textiles, such as cotton and wool, also hold potential for alignment with composting programs, provided contaminants like dyes and chemicals are effectively removed. This approach reflects innovations discussed on Earth911’s SuperCircle interview. The company’s co-founders explained how their circular systems address textile waste challenges by integrating collection with advanced recycling technologies to make reuse more efficient. SuperCircle has developed a scalable approach to textiles recycling that offers a blueprint for how textiles could be managed alongside other waste streams, such as plastics and metals, ensuring shared collection systems drive material recovery across industries.

For synthetic fibers, advancements in chemical recycling, though still controversial, could play a pivotal role in creating closed-loop systems. These methods involve breaking down synthetic fibers into their molecular components to produce high-quality raw materials. However, this technology comes with challenges, including cost, scalability, and potential environmental trade-offs.

Organic fibers like cotton present unique opportunities for circularity, as noted by Stacy Flynn, co-founder of Evrnu, on the Earth911 podcast. Evrnu’s technology transforms textile waste into high-performance fibers for new garments, demonstrating how natural fibers can reenter the manufacturing cycle without significant environmental harm. Flynn emphasized the importance of clean feedstock for textile-to-textile recycling, which could extend to composting initiatives where organic textiles could biodegrade safely into soil nutrients.

Successful integration hinges on developing cross-sector solutions such as shared collection points for multiple waste streams and innovations in sorting technology to separate synthetic and organic fibers. The scalability and effectiveness of these systems will depend on industry investment, public participation, and the alignment of advanced recycling technologies with environmental sustainability goals.

Integrating textile recycling with broader systems could catalyze a new era of resource recovery and pave the way for a circular economy.

Opportunities and Challenges Ahead

While the strategy marks a promising step, the path forward includes significant hurdles:

• Technological Gaps: Chemical recycling for blended fibers is still in its infancy; it may not be capable of processing diverse textile waste streams.
• Economic Viability: Building recycling systems requires access to reliable sources of recyclable materials and cost-efficient processes, challenges that recyclers and manufacturers must address collaboratively.
• Consumer Engagement: Shifting public behavior toward recycling textiles, rather than discarding them, is essential for long-term success.

A Path to a Circular Future

The GAO’s recommendation that the U.S. launch a national textiles strategy underscores the importance of collaboration among federal agencies, industry stakeholders, and the public. Integrating textiles recycling with other materials management systems can help reduce waste, mitigate environmental harm, and may even foster innovation in sustainable manufacturing.

For consumers, the strategy is a call to rethink our relationship with textiles, embrace sustainable fashion choices, and participate in recycling initiatives. The first step in every circular economy is the choice to put materials back into the system for recycling.