🏛️ Our Executive Lobby Day in DC brought American Circular Textiles members and policymakers together to discuss textile circularity, responsible trade practices, and domestic manufacturing.
Our members represent a wide variety of companies operating in the circular economy across the United States. This gives us a broad perspective when discussing national policies around textile circularity.
In DC, we provided critical private sector insights on existing and pending legislation, including the Americas Act, which we advocated for. We look forward to collaborating with policymakers on domestic manufacturing and workforce development in the months ahead.
Thank you Congresswoman @chelliepingree for hosting us in your office and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati for sponsoring our private dinner.
Yesterday it pleasure to attend the announcement ceremony of the House of Representatives ‘Slow Fashion Caucus’ in Washington D.C. today, supported and endorsed by American Circular Textiles: “American Circular Textiles coalition’s mission is to stand up responsible U.S. policy to support textile circularity and eliminate waste. Textiles affect nearly every sector and durable, cohesive Federal policy is critical to unlocking the economic, job, and environmental opportunities that our industry provides through robust reuse, repair, recycling, innovation and consumer education initiatives. The Slow Fashion Caucus is an important step in coalescing comprehensive Federal policy around the many opportunities and challenges facing industry and consumers.” - Rachel Van Metre Kibbe, CEO American Circular Textiles
Founding member, Alon Rotem, Chief Legal Officer of ThredUp, gave inspiring remarks, alongside the founder of the caucus, Representative Chellie Pingree, and other leaders in the domestic sustainable fashion arena. It was good to see our friend Dacie Meng from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and many others.
Later, we held meetings with key stakeholders about our work, including the office of Senator Chuck Schumer. Discussion included the opportunity to incorporate better trade policy, financial incentives like those in EV and renewable energy/manufacturing policy, such as those proposed in our $14B of circular textile provisions and 15% tax credit in the #AmericasAct. As we keyed in to the role that incentive based policy can play in scaling textile reuse and recycling in the U.S., underscored was the opportunity to bring back regional jobs and a more competitive industry.
What a week! Last week our membership participated in its first Lobby Day to introduce Congress further to our organization and incentive provisions for circularity in the America’s ACT.
Thank you to all who came to the event we hosted this week in support of the introduction of the Americas Trade and Investment Act. The bill incorporates the first circular textile provisions in federal history.
Bill co-sponsors, U.S Senators @senbillcassidy and @senatorbennet , presented their perspectives on the Americas Act and its intersecting interests, including how sustainable and circular manufacturing fits into a future-minded domestic strategy. #AmericasAct
