Healthy Textiles Coalition calls for industry-wide shift as toxic textile practices threaten health and planet
UNITED STATES – A new national alliance of designers, farmers, manufacturers, researchers, nonprofits, and industry experts has launched to address the growing environmental and human health crisis caused by toxic textile production and waste. The Healthy Textiles Coalition aims to transform the textile industry by promoting soil-to-soil systems – climate-friendly, non-toxic, and regenerative textile practices that protect people and the planet.
“The fiber and textile system has deep implications for human and environmental health,” said Rebecca Burgess, Executive Director of Fibershed. “There are so many wonderful organizations that carry aspects of this work. This coalition is designed to bring our voices together – we’re stronger that way.”
The rise of fast fashion and mass production has fueled a flood of cheap, synthetic (often plastic-based) fibers used in everything from clothing and furniture to bedding and toys. This trend has led to exploitative labor conditions for garment workers, increased microplastic pollution, widespread chemical exposure, and growing impacts on climate, biodiversity, and human health.
“The best way to protect the climate and conserve resources is to make less clothing, use high quality clothing for as long as possible, and prioritize the repair, reuse, and resell of the clothing we have,” said Kirstie Pecci, Executive Director at Just Zero. “We cannot recycle our way out of this problem.”
Despite mounting evidence of harm, little has been done at the federal or state level. That’s why the Healthy Textiles Coalition was formed – to drive meaningful change across all sectors of the textile industry and push for policy solutions that prioritize people, ecosystems, and long-term resilience.
The coalition’s key goals include:
- Promoting equitable economic opportunities and the creation of high-quality, dignified jobs.
- Preventing environmental harm and advancing long-term resilience throughout the textile industry.
- Supporting regional, regenerative fiber systems.
- Shaping policies – including phasing plastics out of textiles – that reflect the coalition’s core values and serve as models for others to follow.
One of the coalition’s first priorities is supporting California’s Responsible Textile Recovery Act (SB707), a landmark bill aimed at reducing textile waste, phasing out hazardous chemicals, cutting greenhouse gas emissions, and expanding reuse, repair, and recycling systems across the state. The coalition has provided research, feedback, and public comments in support of the legislation.
“This coalition offers us a shared language and a platform to advocate for fiber systems that are regenerative and equitable by design,” said Alexandra Farah, Advocacy Manager and Coalition Coordinator at Fibershed. “By uniting diverse voices from across the fiber and textile industry, we can accelerate solutions that restore ecosystems and protect the health of our communities. If your organization is interested in joining the Healthy Textiles Coalition, please contact us so we can discuss our shared goals.”
As textile waste piles up and global demand for sustainable practices grows, the Healthy Textiles Coalition is calling on industry leaders, lawmakers, and consumers alike to rethink the way textiles are made, used, and disposed of – from soil to soil.
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About the Healthy Textiles Coalition
Formed by Fibershed and Just Zero, the Healthy Textiles Coalition unites a growing group of members – including Ethix Merch, Remake, SUAY, The Or Foundation, Californians Against Waste, California Product Stewardship Council, Garment Worker Center, AmericaMade Holdings, Sierra Spinning, and others – working across every stage of the textile lifecycle. By connecting farmers, designers, brands, recyclers, and researchers, the Coalition promotes circularity, safety, and equity through shared learning, advocacy, and collective action.
Learn more at www.healthytextilescoalition.com.