Los Angeles, CA (October 1, 2024) The City’s LA Sanitation and Environment Department (LASAN) announced that it 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.
“At the City, we are working every day to build a greener Los Angeles. Fabric waste from businesses makes up an estimated 6% of Los Angeles’ total waste that gets 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. As part of this project, 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.
“This pilot project was a proof of concept for brands to source textile waste from LA for upcycled and recycled-content products.” said CPSC Director of Advocacy Joanne Brasch, “This is especially important for the upcoming large events like FIFA 2026, Superbowl 2027, and the LA28 Olympics.”
The Department encourages interested brands seeking fibers, yarn, and fabrics made from LA-sourced fabric waste to join the next phase of the pilot and contact the CPSC. Read more about the history of the pilot and its progress here.