RESOURCES

DON'T THROW YOUR CLOTHING INTO THE DUMPSTER

REDUCE CONSUMPTION - REUSE WHAT YOU NEED - REPAIR WHAT YOU LOVE  

 

Special Election | Lexington MA

Lexington voters will decide on June 16 whether to uphold Article 31, a fiscally focused update to the town’s waste‑management system. Town Meeting approved this measure to address rapidly rising trash‑disposal costs that threaten funding for core services like schools, public safety, and the library. Article 31 maintains baseline trash pickup, recycling, and composting for all households, while introducing reasonable fees only for excess trash, an approach used successfully in many communities to reduce waste and control spending. Supporters argue that this model is fair, cost‑effective, and designed to protect essential services while offering exemptions for residents with medical, mobility, or income‑based needs. Below is my letter in support of the measure. As always, residents should review official town materials to confirm details and make an informed decision.

YES for Fiscal Responsibility

As a fiber artist and textile educator, I’ve learned that systems don’t fail all at once. With wear and daily use, they fray. Lexington’s waste system, and our municipal budget, are showing those threads. It’s time for repair.

On April 29, Town Meeting passed Article 31, a practical update to an outdated “unlimited trash for anyone, paid for by everyone” model. That old system wasn’t just unfair; it assumed our town could absorb infinite waste management at no additional cost. We can’t. The amount of waste we're collecting is out of alignment with what our taxes can support. Rising disposal costs are pulling at the seams of the services that hold our community together, like schools, public safety, and the library. 

A YES vote on June 16 is a visible mend, a reinforcement at a known weak point. It aligns costs with usage, encourages responsible habits, and protects our shared budget from being overwhelmed by waste. This sensible, fiscally responsible plan is the kind of honest, necessary repair that keeps a system from tearing further.

Vote YES on June 16 to uphold Article 31 and strengthen Lexington’s fabric.

Learn more at YES for Fiscal Responsibility: https://yesforfiscalresponsibility.org 

Mary Ann Stewart, Precinct 1

MASSACHUSETTS STATE HOUSE

H.1032: Support Fashion Transparency in Massachusetts (One-pager) | Massachusetts Bill H.1032 holds major fashion companies accountable for their environmental impact, from chemical safety to carbon emissions. It builds transparency into the supply chain and sets enforceable climate goals for fashion brands operating in our state.

Why it matters: The clothes we wear leave a global footprint. This bill ensures those selling in Massachusetts disclose their impact and act to reduce harm. My testimony is HERE.

* * ADDITIONAL RESOURCES * *

  • Western Massachusetts Fibershed: strengthening connections along the supply chain from farmers to consumers to build a thriving regional fiber economy. Centered in the river valleys and hill towns of Franklin County, MA, WMA Fibershed encompasses a 100-mile radius that includes central MA, southwestern NH, southeastern VT, and the Berkshires

  • Southeastern New England Fibershed: a network of farmers, designers, sewists, weavers, knitters, spinners, mill owners and natural dyers living and working within a 100-mile radius of the historical textile processing centers of New Bedford, MA, and Providence, RI

  • Massachusetts Recovery Momentum: Since the state’s 2022 textile waste ban, over 45,000 tons of textiles were recovered in 2023 alone. Nearly 300 municipalities now offer textile collection programs, and MassDEP continues to fund recovery initiatives and community education. Read more…

  • Swanson’s: Incredible fabric and craft resource located in Turner’s Falls MA

LINKs to GOOD FEDERAL STUFF to KNOW…

The STEWARD Act introduces national data collection and support for textile recycling infrastructure, a landmark moment for circular systems in the US read more…

US Acknowledges Textile Waste as a Significant Issue in Landmark Federal Report(read it, while you can...?) While promising recycling technologies are emerging, obstacles like limited collection systems and the complexity of materials persist. The report emphasizes the need for improved federal coordination to overcome these barriers and create a more sustainable future for the industry. 

FABRIC Act: Fashioning Accountability and Building Real Institutional Change (S.4213). This bill requires garment industry employers to pay at least the hourly minimum wage and prohibits piece-rate pay. Garment manufacturers and contractors also must register with the Department of Labor (fact sheet and more HERE)

Slow Fashion Caucus: Rep. Chellie Pingree (1st Dist, ME), ranking member of the House Appropriations Interior and Environment Subcommittee, launched the Congressional #slowfashioncaucus (June 2024) to bring awareness to textile waste and as a vehicle to consider curbing fast fashion pollution through climate-smart policies. Read the caucus’ Principles to Support a Circular Economy for TextilesHERE.

GLOBAL CONSIDERATIONS

  1. As of January 1, 2026, the European Union is rolling out a mandatory, EU‑wide framework for textile waste, built on updates to the Waste Framework Directive (WFD) and new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) rules for textiles. In practice, this sets the de facto global standard for textile waste policy. Any brand selling into the EU must comply, no matter where production happens, which means supply‑chain shifts far beyond Europe. More here

  2. UNEP Calls for Textiles Policy Dialogue In a major shift, the United Nations is coordinating a Global Textiles Policy Dialogue focused on circularity, transparency, and reducing fashion’s global footprint.

  3. Due Diligence: As the fashion industry comes under increasing scrutiny for social and labor rights, both consumers and governments are boosting a growing worldwide movement to legally require companies to undertake human rights due diligence. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, Due Diligence is a risk management process that companies can carry out to identify and respond to current and potential negative impacts related to their operations, as well as throughout their supply chains. Read more…

Fiber people: I created a FREE Guide to Textile Waste and Circularity, in light of the new EU rules. Download it HERE.