Newly styled fashion bill debuts on Washington’s legislative runway

(Photo by Mike Bird)

Some Washington state lawmakers want the fashion industry to be less “clothes-minded” about sharing information on their environmental and labor practices.

Rep. Sharlett Mena, D-Tacoma, introduced House Bill 1107 on the first day of this year’s session, which began Monday. The legislation intends to hold fashion giants with gross income over $100 million more accountable for how their products harm the environment.

“Fashion is a huge part of culture and style,” Mena said. “But the stories of our clothes and shoes begin way before they reach our closets and long after we’ve thrown them out or donated them.”

Retailers and other business interests are pushing back, saying the proposed regulations would drive up costs and that the issues involved are better left to the federal government.

While you might be getting a bang for your buck purchasing cheap clothing, sometimes called “fast fashion,” it comes with an environmental price tag. Most fast-produced, low-quality garments lead to excess waste, and increased air and water pollution.

According to the United Nations, a single pair of jeans requires around 2 pounds of cotton, and producing that material requires about 7,500 to 10,000 liters of water — roughly a decade’s worth of drinking water for one person.

A version of the fashion bill made its debut in 2022 but didn’t get a hearing. In 2023 and 2024, it received committee hearings but failed to move forward.

The previous bill required companies to share information on labor practices and how their products affected the environment, set goals for improvement, implement them, and report back to the state’s Department of Ecology.

This year, the legislation is sporting a new look.

It would require manufacturers to collect information about chemicals found in clothing, marketing terms related to the environment or sustainability, disposal practices for unsold clothing, and initiatives to reduce pollution.

Companies would report this information to the state. The idea is that it would help the Department of Ecology develop policy options for fashion producers to trim their environmental footprint down a few sizes.

If a company doesn’t provide the information, the department could issue penalties for noncompliance. Money from penalties would go toward addressing environmental problems in underserved communities.

Department of Ecology is neutral on the bill. Funding for it was not proposed in outgoing Gov. Jay Inslee’s budget. The agency has suggested involving more departments in the program and only requiring Ecology to collect information about companies’ environmental and labor practices.

“Ecology has little to no expertise in this particular area,” said Kimberly Goetz, who testified on behalf of the department. She added that dealing with multinational corporations in the fashion industry would further complicate the agency’s work.

Business groups say the bill’s compliance costs would be passed to consumers and they raise concerns about retailers getting penalized for not sharing information about clothes they don’t manufacture or supply chains they don’t control.

Crystal Leatherman of the Washington Retail Association said the legislation could end up limiting what clothing products are available in the state.

“We believe assigning a state agency to oversee global supply chains is fundamentally impractical,” she said.

But supporters argue that the bill’s requirements are manageable and that the information businesses would have to share is already covered in reports that companies like Nike produce.

“Due to the lack of transparency and regulation in the fashion industry, we currently do not have access to the information needed to properly mitigate this wasteful practice,” said Kathryn Horvath from WashPIRG, a public health nonprofit.

As the 105-day session unfolds, lawmakers will have to decide whether Washington is ready to try on the bill or if the legislation is best left tucked away in the closet for now.

– By Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero

Romero is a Murrow News Fellow with the Washington State Standard.

Washington State Standard is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Washington State Standard maintains editorial independence.

  1. More rules and regulations require more government employees and higher taxes they also increase the costs to the companies, we are already facing a budget shortfall taxpayers are already feeling the pinch of inflation does it make sense to further burden the taxpayers and increase the costs of things they need to purchase and to what end what problem will this solve? The paper this is written on needs to go straight to the recycle bin.

  2. Finally, a sensible plan to do something about turning the climate around – Universal nudity. I’m sure our friend, Mike Molly will be all in on this. Mike, I hope we are still welcome at the Boathouse if you decide to get serious about this ultimate climate solution by setting a good example.

  3. Great we will all be biking around naked feeding our table scraps to the birds, I think we are finally making progress. Now I just want to know if we will get a tax break for being such a good citizen.

    1. Shall I take the bait? Is this medium here in MENS for a serious expression of views or just a joke? Soilent green, preventing cows from releasing methane gas, forcing recycling, the elimination of fossil fuels, mandating vegetarianism or nudity. Are these serious proposals by you, Clint and Jim? They aren’t by me. The PBS NewsHour recently ran a segment about how used and discarded clothing from developed countries damage the environment in some African countries. We have known for some time that chemicals used to color foods, toys and clothing come with risks. In reading this article about clothing I can see that MENS tried to inform me about the legislative issues. I know this is not a comprehensive coverage. It does help me to appreciate the concerns of all the stakeholders. For example I do agree that if regulation is to happen it is best at the federal level. I am often suspicious of an industry regulating itself. However, at this stage of discourse I am not ready to cry out about being taxed more than I already am.

      1. Since we received a recent question from a reader asking why we ran this story because it didn’t have a local angle, I’m grateful that it has generated comments. Teresa

      2. Well the article was a little tongue in cheek. We in this country especially in places like the greater Seattle rich areas are the most wasteful on the planet when people are being given or sold our used clothes in other countries just demonstrates our people’s wasteful habits, hey I am all for burning all our used clothes if that will solve the problems you describe, probably cheaper for us. Largest textile producers China and India. My clothes never see anything but the garbage can because I have worn the item out. Heck I would like to spend hundreds if not thousands on new clothing every year. Heck I could wear clothes from 40 years ago. We have a wasteful society I don’t contribute to it .

      3. Michael Molly. Hi. I know the reason I commented with an attempt at humor is that its so silly its funny. So sometime our paper can get mean with comments…sometimes our paper can have funny little comments. It’s called Freedom of Speech. I don’t think getting down on Clinton or Jim is necessary. Many people like me for instance are fed up and sick of the gov intervention into every segment of our lives. I used to be very liberal its this constant effort to control speech, what we eat what we buy what we do in every walk of life. Apparently this article from out State in our paper just was sort of a last straw and so instead of saying mean things some folks chose to find the levity. Like a pressure valve release. I think Clinton and Jim do a great job. They research they write well and they know Edmonds well. I think you do too Michael, but I won’t vote for you I don’t think.

        1. Deborah, you say “I won’t vote for you I don’t think.” You are not saying for sure or until hell freezes over. Does this means I still have chance? Heck you might find out Clint and Jim’’s research are bogus, their sense of humor cheesy, and my reasoning irrefutable.

        2. Deborah Michael is right, nothing I have ever said has a ounce of truth and I also know my humor is cheezy at best. But when someone considers their reasoning irrefutable I start to think I might not be quite as delusional as I appear.

      4. Well of course you took the bait, Mike. You have dual citizenship with a country that has about 50% taxation so you have become somewhat immune to the concept of ever increasing taxation on the shrinking middle class to pay for almost everything the government wants to tackle being a self defeating and demoralizing practice. In fairness to you, your other country actually provides something beneficial to everyone with it’s high tax rate so your viewpoint is more than understood and appreciated. If I were younger I would seriously be considering trying to immigrate to your other country because I’ve had numerous fun adventures in B.C. and totally love the natural environment, the people and their attitude and their pace of life. I too saw that PBS special and it is sad what some of our so called recycling is doing to other countries. If my humor got a little too over the top for you, I apologize. I think the world of you my good friend.

  4. Ha Ha Ha. SO naked in Edmonds…I did out of curiosity check the prices of these. It looks like unless you get something pretty low grade they are expensive to most. That 13 thousand one looks real nice ha. The 3 to 4 thousand range look nice. I can’t seem to find Lukes with the nice long space to attach groceries and such? How much for those? I have entertained the idea of buying one of those. I don’t know how safe I would feel on our busy speedy streets or going down that hill…but the idea of them is appealing. Are they stolen often? How fast do they go and can you drive these on the HWY or the interstate? in all honesty the Freemont parade with all of the naked people was quite entertaining once. I just watched of course. Families were there. We must have the were bagpipes guys in pleated skirts mooning us in the crowd…I have always thought Clothes were overrated unless your cold. I mean we had a lot of people in the sound they should have been naked! I don’t like rats so I will not compost…but I will be careful with amounts. I will eat leftovers or some of you could take a plate to a neighbor to eat the food. Leave us alone.

  5. Here is another idea. Instead of making your already over burdened citizens try to compost why don’t you who think this is the way to go provide a compost in your back yard and we can all drive there and dump our leftovers at your house I am really being serious. There are so many rats up here now its bad. Not in my house but be careful people be sure your foundations etc are secured they will dig…and they will get under there and well it’s not fun! Cost me ten grand people and we have a very clean yard…we don’t leave garbage in our yard or anything but apparently there was a gap in our crawl space area and they got in we didn’t know and I heard something so we called a company from out of town and they after 3 attempts got everything sealed the under all clean and raked and all the stuff they do. JUST don’t try the stuff that attracts rats pheromones. They used traps but too many uh ornery rats ha so it attracted more. So the company had to get a bit more draconian. Anyway this could happen to any of you so just a warning and YEAH Nathaniel drive by and wave hello. You can drop your bath towels off here I will launder.

  6. I think I posted in the wrong comment section. Cotton is most of my summer wardrobe. I don’t like plastic and cotton breaks down real easily. Plastic clothing does not. Isn’t that the main point? I like wool and especially cashmere. I like the kind that is combed from the cashmere goat and no harm at all to the goat they just get combed out on the belly. What I wear has no chemicals. I am sure they use dyes of course but at least my clothing and shoes which are leather (why waste the hides of cows). Purses buy leather. It’s the plastics that are really getting us in a lot of ways… I can’t believe this state has the nerve to try this one! I suggest that they cool it or well they will get more of what they don’t want. Push people to a limit and they will respond with doing exactly what you don’t want them to do…Thankfully some of us still think for ourselves. I am not a sheep, and I am not a lemming. I still inspite of it all want Nathaniel to ride a bicycle naked by my house. We can have coffee. Ha He cracks me up. Oh ha

  7. Why pick on the clothing industry???

    I’d guess our tech devices are far more destructive to the environment!

    How many people and other animals’ lives are disrupted to dig those holes in the earth then how much water to and other hazardous chemicals to get the minerals we need

    Then of course, fracking … I forgot how much water is pulluted to get 1 gallon of gasoline

    I’d like to see what goes into all of what we are now dependent on

  8. Well, the clothing industry is one face of the industries polluting our world- highlighting one is not ignoring any other – the ones you point out need attention as well.

    But I doubt we’ll see any progress for the next four years, years, as Churchill wrote with regard to inadequate preparation for WWII “ for the locusts to eat.”

  9. Michael I thought what you wrote was funny. I think Clinton can be amusing too and I think Jim is nice and adds a lot to our conversations. I refuse to not like them. I don’t know them. I don’t know you either. I did not know you were a dual citizen haha. Oh no haha. And I think you want to run for CC? Do you? I like how you handled your comment to me. And honestly if you run I will listen and I will research the heck out of you. Then if I feel you are a good candidate and are truthful and you are honestly able to serve and vote on CC as a non partisan person maybe I would… I will wait and see. No hurry. And yeah, I know my faults. I know my grammar is awful, but I try because I care. If I didn’t care about Edmonds I wouldn’t be on this page at all. But then I wouldn’t feel like I sort of know these smart and interesting people. They are all impressive and brave too It takes guts to expose your views in a time of discord and well we who plan to stay here want to know others. ME all others I am interested in all. I just hate Hypocrisy… I want UNITY.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Real first and last names — as well as city of residence — are required for all commenters.
This is so we can verify your identity before approving your comment.

By commenting here you agree to abide by our Code of Conduct. Please read our code at the bottom of this page before commenting.