Textile Renewal Alliance debuts brand, website to support California’s textile EPR law

Textile Renewal Alliance, a 501(c)3 formed to support textile producers in meeting their obligations under applicable U.S. extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws, has unveiled its brand identity and launched a new website.

In July, the California Retailers Association, the American Apparel & Footwear Association and the National Retail Federation signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to jointly establish an independent producer responsibility organization (PRO). The associations say this marks a significant step toward the potential designation of Textile Renewal Alliance as the PRO under California’s new EPR law for textiles, the Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024 (S.B. 707). The law requires producers and importers of textiles to take responsibility for the end-of-life management of those materials by joining and funding a PRO that will implement programs to ensure covered products are collected, repaired, reused and recycled after use.

Textile Renewal Alliance must submit a PRO application to CalRecycle by Jan. 1, 2026, and CalRecycle must approve a PRO by March 1, 2026.

“The National Retail Federation is working with our industry partners, producers and stakeholders in California to strengthen infrastructure for managing textiles in the state,” says Stephanie Martz, chief administrative officer and general counsel at the National Retail Federation. “Through Textile Renewal Alliance, we’re striving to create a producer-led stewardship system where textiles are used, reused and recycled responsibly and thoughtfully.”

In the lead-up to the application deadline, Textile Renewal Alliance says it has been engaging with producers and other organizations who currently play a role in textile recovery and management, providing educational resources and opportunities for stakeholders to contribute insights into PRO activities planned for 2026. This includes a recent open consultation on the PRO-led needs assessment of current textile collection and management activities and opportunities in California.

Textile Renewal Alliance also has opened an application process for its California Implementation Working Group. The organization says this group is intended to reflect diverse perspectives across the textile value chain and advise the board of directors on the design, implementation and continuous improvement of California’s textile EPR program, should Textile Renewal Alliance be selected as California’s textile PRO.

“We are honored to support California’s ambitious climate goals through the first-in-the-nation textile EPR program and by providing a strong foundation for a PRO that will help all producers meet their obligations under S.B. 707,” California Retailers Association President Rachel Michelin says. “We encourage organizations involved in collecting, sorting, reuse, repair, recycling or management of textiles in California to apply for the California Implementation Working Group to advance our shared success.”

Producers must register with the approved PRO by July 1, 2026. Textile Renewal Alliance encourages producers to assess compliance requirements and begin gathering data about products covered under S.B. 707, as described in the statute, in preparation for future obligations and reporting.

“This is a critical milestone on the path to establishing a PRO that can support textile circularity in California and beyond,” American Apparel & Footwear Association President & CEO Steve Lamar says. “Textile Renewal Alliance has already become a resource to enable producer compliance, and we look forward to continued collaboration across the textile value chain in the months ahead.”