Textile EPR in California: Landbell USA appointed as first PRO under New Law
In September 2024 California became the first state to establish a formal Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework for textiles under Senate Bill 707 (SB 707). In February 2026, Landbell USA was formally approved by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) as the Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) responsible for implementing the scheme, marking a significant step in the regulation of textile waste in the United States.
This development introduces mandatory compliance requirements for producers placing textiles on the California market. Producers will be required to join the PRO by July 1, 2026, and pay the administrative fees required at this stage.
This legislation aims to address growing textile waste linked to fast fashion and low recycling rates. By shifting responsibility to producers, SB 707 is designed to promote reuse, repair, and recycling, encouraging producers to design products with durability and circularity in mind, thus reducing landfill and incineration rates.
A new regulated approach to textile waste
The Responsible Textile Recovery Act (SB 707) is the first piece of legislation in the US to introduce EPR for textiles, requiring producers to take responsibility for the end-of-life management of their products. The appointment of Landbell USA formalises how this compliance framework will operate in practice.
Under this system, the PRO will be responsible for delivering a compliant scheme, including producer registration, data reporting, and the development of collection and recycling infrastructure. Producers will be required to join the scheme and meet ongoing reporting and financial obligations to remain compliant.
With a registration deadline set for 1 July 2026, businesses placing textiles on the California market must now take steps to understand their obligations and ensure readiness; particularly organisations already managing producer obligations such as Packaging Compliance, WEEE and Batteries.
Who is affected?
- Producers: defined as brand owners or manufacturers selling textiles into California, or if not established in the state, their exclusive licensees, importers, or ultimately distributors or retailers placing products on the Californian market, including through online and cross-border sales.
- Online sellers and overseas businesses: may be considered producers where products are sold directly to consumers in California, even without a physical presence in the state.
What this means for producers
For obligated businesses, this marks a transition from policy to enforcement. Textile compliance is no longer a future consideration; it is now an active requirement.
Producers will need to:
- Register with the approved PRO
- Prepare to track and report product data including volumes, categories, and material composition
- Submit accurate data on products placed on the market
- Ensure ongoing compliance with reporting requirements.
As with other regulated waste streams, failure to comply may result in enforcement action and potential market access risks.
Global compliance is expanding
California’s move reflects a wider global shift towards textile regulation. EPR schemes for textiles are already emerging across Europe, with several countries introducing or developing similar frameworks.
For organisations operating internationally, this creates an increasingly complex compliance landscape where textile obligations must be managed alongside existing requirements across multiple waste streams.
Beyondly insight
At Beyondly, we are seeing textiles follow the same trajectory as other regulated waste streams, moving rapidly from voluntary initiatives to formalised compliance schemes.
From our experience, early engagement is critical. Organisations that take a proactive approach by establishing data processes and clear reporting structures are better positioned to adapt as new regulations come into force.
How Beyondly can help
As textile EPR develops, businesses should focus on understanding their obligations now to ensure compliance and reduce risk.
Beyondly supports organisations through:
- Compliance assessments: Helping you determine whether your products and activities fall within scope and identifying your obligations across different markets. Giving you the clarity, insight, and confidence to stay compliant, avoid regulatory penalties, and grow your business across global markets.
- Registration set-up: We take the complexity out of compliance by working directly with our trusted global network of compliance partners. We’ll manage the registration process for each country and waste stream, ensuring your business is correctly set up to meet all local requirements, without the confusion.
- Administrative management: Staying compliant isn’t a one-off task; it requires regular submissions, data reporting, and updates. We ease your burden by managing all ongoing compliance admin on your behalf. From submitting data returns to monitoring deadlines, we’ll keep you compliant in every market, across every relevant regulation.
- Policy insights: Global regulations are evolving rapidly, and staying ahead of the curve is key to minimising risk and maintaining competitiveness. Our team continuously monitors changes in policy across the markets you operate in. We’ll keep you informed of upcoming legislation, shifts in enforcement, and new obligations, so you can make strategic decisions with confidence and adapt before the rules change.
Whether you are already managing producer compliance across Packaging, WEEE or Batteries, or are newly impacted by textile EPR, our team can help you navigate your obligations with ease to ensure seamless compliance.
Contact Beyondly
Our friendly team of international compliance experts are here to help. Please contact [email protected] or call 01756 794951 for an initial chat. We’d love to hear from you!