Share This Article
Jessica Franken has 25 years of advocacy for clothes recycling and circular systems. She answers questions about how, why, and where.
| All products featured on The Wellness Feed are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.|
Imagine that you’ve made wasting less one of your sustainable goals for 2026. But, while it’s easy to figure out where to buy those new shorts for spring, figuring out where to recycle your old ones is a trickier topic. So, how does one waste less?
It’s a question experts like Jessica Franken, head of Government & External Affairs at Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association (SMART), have been answering for more than two decades. “The reuse and recycling industry has been operating circular models for decades,” Jessica, who has spent much of her career advocating for circular policies on Capitol Hill, explains.
Her experience makes her one of the best to answer questions about why, how, and where concerning clothes recycling. While it might feel that textile recycling is a fairly new trend, organizations like SMART have been working for decades to divert millions of pounds of textile waste from landfills by partnering with organizations and individuals like you and me.
The facts around textile waste are alarming enough of a reason to learn to recycle better and advocate for better policies around waste. More than 11 million pounds of textile waste are sent to landfills yearly, and less than 15% is recycled. Waste doesn’t simply sit in landfills. As it decomposes over the course of decades, chemicals leach into the environment, contributing to water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and microplastic pollution.
So, whether it’s a dress that has a few wears left or a pair of socks that you wonder if there is a better final destination than the trash, Jessica shares her insight to give us the answers to waste less and recycle better.
Why should we care about textile recycling?
Consumers should care about textile reuse and recycling because what we do with our clothes after we’re done with them has real environmental, economic, and social impacts. When textiles are thrown away, they waste the water, energy, and raw materials used to make them and add to landfill pollution. Reuse and recycling help extend the life of clothing and, just as importantly, reduce the need to produce new garments, which is where much of the industry’s environmental impact occurs. By keeping existing clothing in use longer, we can significantly cut down on resource consumption, emissions, and waste throughout the supply chain.
Textile reuse, recycling, and exports also support a large network of domestic jobs in the United States, including workers in collection, sorting, grading, transportation, resale, and recycling operations. These are community-based jobs that strengthen local economies and drive innovation in circular manufacturing. Internationally, reuse and export markets create millions of jobs in receiving countries and support small businesses and local economies around the world.
At home, resale and export markets help charities by purchasing items they cannot sell in stores and by partnering with nonprofit organizations through clothing donation programs and collection bins. These partnerships generate important revenue for charitable programs while keeping usable textiles out of landfills.
By donating, reusing, and recycling responsibly, consumers play a direct role in sustaining this system. Their everyday choices help reduce demand for new production, conserve natural resources, support workers and nonprofits, and build a more resilient, transparent, and sustainable textile economy that benefits communities and the planet.
What are the best places they recycle textiles?
For people who are new to textile recycling, there are more options than most people realize, and it’s often easier than you think. One of the simplest ways to start is by using clothing collection bins, which you’ll often see in shopping centers, parking lots, and around town. Local thrift and resale stores are another great option, and charities like Goodwill and The Salvation Army are always looking for gently used clothing and household textiles.
You can also get creative. Clothing swaps or exchange parties with friends or neighbors are a fun way to refresh your wardrobe while giving items a second life.
Another thing to keep in mind is that even damaged or worn-out textiles can often still be put to good use. Many items that can’t be resold are turned into industrial wipers or used to make products like insulation, carpet backing, and other materials. And as textile-to-textile recycling continues to scale up, it’s creating even more opportunities to responsibly manage clothing that can’t be reused, repaired, or repurposed.
A good tip is to keep donations clean and dry, and to separate wearable items from those that are more worn. When in doubt, a quick check with your local reuse or recycling organization can help. With so many easy and convenient options, keeping textiles out of the trash is simpler—and more rewarding—than most people expect.
How do you reduce textile waste in your everyday life?
Reducing textile waste in everyday life doesn’t have to be complicated; it’s really about making a few thoughtful choices. I start by buying more intentionally, choosing pieces I know I’ll wear often and for a long time, rather than impulse buys that end up sitting in the closet. When possible, I look for quality items, secondhand finds, or classic styles that won’t go out of fashion quickly.
I also focus on taking good care of the clothes I already have. Simple things like washing in cold water, air-drying when possible, and repairing small tears or loose buttons can help clothes last much longer. When something no longer fits or fits my lifestyle, I try to pass it along through donations, resale, or clothing swaps so it can be reused by someone else.
And one personal rule I follow is that I never throw away textiles. Even when items are worn out or damaged, I know the industry can usually find a responsible use for them, whether through reuse, recycling, or material recovery. So I always look for donation or textile recycling options instead of sending anything to the landfill. Between buying less, caring more, and making sure every item has a next life, small everyday choices can make a big difference in reducing textile waste.
What policies do you think have been the most impactful so far for a more circular fashion economy?
Over the past 25 years, one of the most impactful policy tools I’ve seen for advancing a more circular fashion economy is extended producer responsibility, or EPR. When done thoughtfully, EPR creates a sustainable funding mechanism for collection, reuse, repair, and recycling, and helps ensure that the companies putting products on the market also share responsibility for managing them at end of life.
EPR has helped move the conversation beyond short-term pilot projects and voluntary programs and toward long-term, system-wide solutions. It creates incentives to design more durable, repairable, and recyclable products, while also supporting the infrastructure needed to keep textiles in use and out of landfills.
At the same time, my experience has shown that EPR works best when it is developed collaboratively with the existing reuse and recycling industry. Policies that recognize and strengthen proven collection and resale systems—rather than replacing them—are far more effective. When policymakers engage industry early and build on what’s already working, EPR can be a powerful driver of real, measurable progress toward a more circular fashion economy.
What policies are you currently pushing for (or think are needed if they don’t exist yet) to advance the circular economy?
Right now, my main focus is on getting Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for textiles designed the right way, so it prioritizes reuse, repair, and existing collection and recycling systems, rather than just disposal and reporting.
I’m also working on trade and waste regulations, including Basel Convention-related rules, to make sure high-quality secondhand clothing isn’t misclassified as waste and blocked from legitimate reuse markets.
At the state and federal level, I advocate for policies that protect and strengthen existing reuse and resale infrastructure, since it already delivers circularity at scale.
Finally, I support incentives and investment in textile recycling infrastructure for items that can’t be reused or repaired. If we want a truly circular system, we need practical, scalable solutions for managing these materials responsibly, and that requires long-term public and private investment.
Where can people go to learn more about existing or proposed policies and acts?
People can learn about existing and proposed textile and circular economy policies through a mix of government, international, and industry sources. At the federal and state level, legislative websites and agency pages, including state environmental agencies and legislatures, provide the most direct information on bills and regulations.
Internationally, organizations like UNEP and the Basel Convention publish updates, guidance, and meeting materials on global policy developments.
Industry associations and trade groups, including SMART, also play an important role by translating complex policy into practical updates, member briefings, and public resources.
Finally, reputable nonprofit organizations, research institutes, and policy-focused media outlets often provide accessible summaries and analysis that help put new proposals into context.
How do you stay positive when it feels like society is taking “two steps forward, one step back?”
Honestly, that’s just life, isn’t it? Progress is rarely linear. There will always be setbacks and moments that feel discouraging, even when you know you’re moving in the right direction.
What keeps me optimistic is taking the long view. Over time, real progress does happen, often because of groundwork laid years earlier. I also try to see setbacks as opportunities to uncover better information and make smarter decisions going forward. It may sound trite, but I’ve learned a great deal from past missteps and mistakes, and those lessons strengthen future work. I also know that no so-called “step back” is ever permanent; in the policy world, the pendulum is constantly swinging, but at the same time, it keeps inching forward.
And finally, I stay focused on the people and systems that are already doing the right thing. The reuse and recycling industry has been operating circular models for decades, which is a powerful reminder that meaningful change starts with real-world action. These are good people who genuinely care about the impact they’re making on the world, and working alongside them keeps me motivated. I’m very much a “people possibilities” person, and this community truly speaks to that part of me.
