SMART urges local governments to use clothing bins responsibly

The Secondary Recycled Textiles Association (SMART), the largest international trade association for textile reuse and recycling, is imploring local governments to support using clothing bins nationwide to address the growing textile waste crisis.

Citing the importance of bins as “indispensable for effective textile waste management,” SMART stresses that the presence of clothing bins helps extend the life cycle of textiles, successfully diverting them from landfills while encouraging the shift to a circular economy.

With more public officials across the nation recognizing the need to tackle textile waste now, governments around the world including those in Europe, Canada, Japan and Korea are signing on forward-thinking policy solutions, such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs, which hold producers responsible for the environmental impact of their products throughout their entire lifecycle, including end-of-life management like recycling and disposal rather than taxpayers.

Each year, Americans discard 17 million tons of clothing and fabrics, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), accounting for 6.3 percent of all waste, with minimal recycling. The most shocking? Nearly all of the discarded textiles (95 percent) could have been reused or recycled. Giving textiles a second life through reuse and recycling reduces textile waste significantly while delivering bigger climate benefits than recycling other materials like plastic, glass, or yard trimmings.

To manage this issue, the state of California has taken the lead by passing laws requiring major companies to create large-scale programs for collecting used textiles. Other states, like New York and Washington, with federal lawmakers, are now considering similar rules to increase textile recycling rates. However, success will depend on coordinated action from the government at every level and full engagement from everyone in the textile recycling chain.

Despite broad policy initiatives developed to reduce textile waste, some municipalities have banned for-profit clothing collection bins or imposed restrictive regulations that impede their operation. These counterproductive measures undermine waste reduction efforts, as clothing collection bins provide essential infrastructure that delivers several benefits.

According to SMART, clothing collection bins significantly increase recovery rates within the textile recycling sector, diverting approximately 4 billion pounds of clothing from landfills annually by improving accessibility. Clothing bins provide convenient donation options where brick-and-mortar sites are unavailable, reducing the likelihood of textiles entering household waste streams.

The addition of clothing bins also generates employment in logistics, warehousing, sorting, and recycling sectors that support local economies and circular economy development and enable operators to partner with nonprofits through revenue-sharing agreements that provide consistent funding for community programs while advancing sustainability objectives. Lastly, clothing bins help municipalities decrease landfill tipping fees, an increasingly significant municipal expense, by reducing textile volumes sent to landfills while providing cost-effective waste management solutions.

SMART adds that the responsible management of clothing bins is fundamental to tackling concerns like illegal dumping and maintenance issues, yet overregulation undermines their effectiveness. Members of SMART adhere to a Clothing Collection Bin Code of Conduct that establishes clear operational standards. However, excessive permitting fees, restrictive placement requirements, and administrative barriers discourage operators and reduce service availability. 

The trade association is now actively encouraging local governments to implement balanced policies that emphasise accountability, transparency, and operator collaboration to address community concerns while preserving bin benefits.