Los Angeles, California Sanitation and Environment Department (LASAN) has successfully diverted more than 1,000 pounds of cotton waste, primarily discarded fabric scraps from businesses, from nearby landfills. The department worked with commercial partners to “upcycle” the waste into clothing, bags and other items.
“We are working every day to build a greener Los Angeles. Fabric waste from businesses makes up an estimated six percent of Los Angeles’ total waste sent to landfills,” said LASAN general manager Barbara Romero. “Through our innovative pilot program, we are successfully removing this waste from landfills and recycling it in order to combat greenhouse gas emissions and improve our local environment.”
First launched in 2020, the pilot program just completed its second phase of operations, recycling more than 1,000 pounds of cotton waste into new cotton shirts that will be released by the brand Outerknown in early 2025. Over the course of the pilot program, the Department has established infrastructure and partners to be able to divert and “upcycle” cotton and fabric waste to new, productive uses. The Department has partnered with the California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC), a powerful network of local governments, non-government organizations, businesses, and individuals supporting policies and projects where producers share in the responsibility for managing problem products at their end of life.