The law obligates textile producers and importers to manage the end-of-life of apparel and textile items by joining and funding a PRO.
This organisation will oversee collection, repair, reuse, and recycling programmes for covered products.
In July, the California Retailers Association, the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), and the National Retail Federation (NRF) signed a memorandum of understanding to form a prospective PRO.
NRF chief administrative officer and general counsel Stephanie Martz said: “The National Retail Federation is working with our industry partners, producers, and stakeholders in California to strengthen infrastructure for managing textiles in the state. Through Textile Renewal Alliance, we’re striving to create a producer-led stewardship system where textiles are used, reused, and recycled responsibly and thoughtfully.”
These organisations are preparing an application for submission to the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle). The statute sets a deadline of 1 January 2026 for PRO applications, with CalRecycle required to approve one by 1 March 2026.
Producers subject to the law must register with the approved PRO by 1 July 2026.
In advance of these deadlines, Textile Renewal Alliance has been working with producers and various organisations currently involved in textile recovery and management.
It has provided educational materials and opportunities for stakeholders to contribute input into activities being planned for implementation from 2026. One such effort is a recent open consultation on a PRO-led study that looks at existing textile collection and management activities in California.
This study, described as a “needs assessment”, will be among the first required steps for the approved PRO in 2026. The findings from this assessment will help define which programme elements and investments are necessary under the new regulatory framework.
Textile Renewal Alliance has opened applications for its California Implementation Working Group, which will represent diverse perspectives across the textile value chain. If the Alliance is selected as California’s textile PRO, the group will advise the board on the design, implementation and ongoing improvement of the state’s textile EPR programme.
The group is intended to draw on expertise from different segments of the textile value chain, along with participants experienced in environmental or social justice issues or local government roles.
Textile Renewal Alliance advises all producers to review their compliance obligations as specified in SB 707. It encourages them to begin collecting data on products covered under the law in anticipation of future reporting duties.
AAFA president and CEO Steve Lamar added: “This is a critical milestone on the path to establishing a PRO that can support textile circularity in California and beyond. 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.”
