Fabric recycling: pilot project.

The California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989, administered by the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, generally regulates the disposal, management, and recycling of solid waste. The act establishes stewardship programs for various products, including, among others, carpet, mattresses, and pharmaceutical and sharps waste. This bill would require the department to establish a pilot project of up to 3 years located in the Counties of Los Angeles and Ventura in partnership with garment manufacturers in order to study and report on the feasibility of recycling fabric, as specified. The bill would require the pilot project to be submitted by an applicant jurisdiction and designed to create a circular economy for the highest and best use of waste textiles. The bill would require the pilot project operator to annually report to the department, the amount, in pounds, of textiles that were collected and that were diverted from disposal in the prior year of the pilot project, among other information. The bill would require the pilot project to conclude no later than January 1, 2027. The bill would specify that any state funding provided for the pilot project is subject to an appropriation by the Legislature for this purpose. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Counties of Los Angeles and Ventura.