California has a new textiles PRO… Landbell USA!

CalRecycle selects the State’s official PRO

Landbell USA is proud to announce its selection by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) to serve as the Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) for the Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024 (SB 707).

As the first-of-its-kind legislation in the United States, SB 707 establishes a formal framework for the collection, repair, reuse and recycling of apparel and textile products.

By selecting Landbell USA, CalRecycle has designated a mission-driven 501(c)(3) nonprofit to lead the state’s transition toward a circular textile economy.

Leading the Future of Textile Circularity

In its role as the PRO, Landbell USA will be responsible for overseeing the end-to-end management and proper stewardship of covered products sold within California.

This includes the development of a comprehensive Producer Responsibility Plan designed to reduce textile waste and increase the longevity of garments through the procurement of innovative consumer education programs, repair, reuse and recycling infrastructure.

“We are honored to take on this historic responsibility,” said Patrick Gibbs, Textile Lead at Landbell USA.

“California is setting a global precedent for textile sustainability. Our goal is to provide a seamless, transparent, and highly effective program that requires producers to fund a product stewardship program for the covered materials they put into the California marketplace, while providing Californians with accessible options for textile recovery.”

Core Responsibilities and Implementation

Under the statutory requirements of the Public Resources Code, Landbell USA will immediately begin executing several critical mandates, including:

• Statewide Needs Assessment: Conducting an initial evaluation of California’s SB 707 covered materials recovery infrastructure to identify gaps and available resources.
• Producer Outreach: Covered Producers must sign up with the selected PRO by 1 July 2026. Maintaining an updated registry of covered producers ensures compliance across all participating entities.

Governance and Transparency

Landbell USA’s operations are guided by a diverse governing board comprising producers of various sizes and covered material categories, ensuring that the unique needs of the apparel and textile industries are fully represented.

To ensure public trust, Landbell USA will undergo annual financial audits and provide comprehensive progress reports to CalRecycle.

“This selection marks a turning point for the industry,” added John Hayes, President at Landbell USA.

“By leveraging Landbell’s global expertise in Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), we are prepared to turn the challenges of textile waste into a robust system of resource recovery.”

Global approach

The news also marks a significant step forward for the global textile programme of Landbell USA’s parent company, Landbell Group.

“We are proud to be involved in California’s groundbreaking textile act,” explained Jan Patrick Schulz, CEO of Landbell Group.

“Fashion has a global supply chain so, from day one, we designed our textile solutions with this worldwide industry in mind. Working alongside our PROs for textiles in Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, and our experts in many other places, our US team will create a big impact for California and the rest of the world.”