The US Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee has unanimously endorsed the Strategies to Eliminate Waste and Accelerate Recycling Development (STEWARD) Act, aimed at improving textile recycling infrastructure and data collection.

Championed by Senators Shelley Moore Capito, Sheldon Whitehouse, and John Boozman, the legislation will help track textile waste alongside other materials, addressing a long-overlooked gap in federal recycling efforts.

American Circular Textiles (ACT) welcomed this step, emphasizing the need for better data collection and integration of textiles into sustainable manufacturing discussions. This initiative could drive progress toward a circular economy in the textile industry.