2025 -- H 5293

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LC001127

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY

     Introduced By: Representatives Hull, Sanchez, J. Lombardi, DeSimone, O'Brien,
Fogarty, and Diaz

     Date Introduced: February 05, 2025

     Referred To: House Environment and Natural Resources

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. The general assembly makes the following findings of fact:

     (1) Rhode Island is facing significant environmental challenges as the state’s only landfill

will reach its capacity by 2046;

     (2) The people of Rhode Island must work together to keep unwanted textiles out of the

landfill and improve recycling practices;

     (3) Clean, segregated textiles are the most common post-consumer materials to be reused

for their original purpose, or upcycled into numerous other usable products;

     (4) The most recent data shows that an estimated twenty-eight thousand eight hundred sixty

(28,860) tons of textiles from residential, industrial and commercial institutions were delivered to

Rhode Island resource recovery corporation landfill; and

     (5) While textiles are currently required to be recycled, the state must increase public

awareness and expand textile recycling to ensure that the least number of textiles unnecessarily end

up in our landfill.

     SECTION 2. Title 23 of the General Laws entitled "HEALTH AND SAFETY" is hereby

amended by adding thereto the following chapter:

CHAPTER 18.19

TEXTILE RECYCLING

     23-18.19-1. Definition.

     As used in this chapter:

     (1) “Corporation” means the Rhode Island resource recovery corporation;

     (2) “Department” means the department of environmental management;

     (3) “Private entities” means any entity, including for-profit and nonprofit organizations,

involved in the collection of textiles for recycle or reuse purposes, in accordance with the

department’s rules and regulations.

     (4) “Textiles” means clothing, footwear, bedding, towels, curtains, fabric, and similar

products, except textiles that are contaminated with mold, bodily fluids, insects, oil, or hazardous

substances.

     23-18.19-2. Textile waste education.

     The department shall, in collaboration with the corporation, create a public education

outreach program to educate residential households and commercial businesses on the value of,

and proper methods to, recycle textiles in the state. The department and the corporation shall create

an online directory, and may create a recycling assistance program, to help guide residents,

businesses, and municipalities to reduce their textile waste.

     23-18.19-3. Textile collection and reporting requirements.

     (a) Beginning January 1, 2028, all private entities involved in textile collection, shall

provide to the department, an annual reporting on the estimated total tonnage of textiles collected.

The department shall include this data along with municipal textile data in any reports generated.

     (b) Beginning January 1, 2029, the department may use this data to establish benchmark

goals for the tonnage of municipal and commercial textiles collected, which may be increased

annually at the discretion of the department, pursuant to § 23-18.19-4.

     23-18.19-4. Regulatory authority and enforcement.

     The department shall commence collecting data pursuant to § 23-18.19-3, and shall be

responsible for formulating and promulgating rules and regulations related to textile waste

collection and recycling. The department shall report these regulations to the secretary of state to

be made available to the public by June 1, 2026. The department may enforce these regulations and

may levy any fines or penalties established by the department.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY

***

     This act would create a public education outreach program to educate residential

households and commercial businesses on the value of, and proper methods to, recycle textiles in

the state.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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