RESOURCES
DON'T THROW YOUR CLOTHING INTO THE DUMPSTER
REDUCE CONSUMPTION - REUSE WHAT YOU NEED - REPAIR WHAT YOU LOVE
🌱 Silk Fields: Land at a Crossroads
Silk Fields, located at 7 Farm Road directly behind LexFarm, is a 2.5-acre property that has long served as a cherished green space in Lexington. What many may not realize is that this land is privately owned, and the owner is now exploring development options for the site.
This parcel represents more than acreage. It’s part of our town’s fabric, shaping how we gather, learn, and imagine sustainable futures. The decisions made about Silk Fields will affect not only the farm next door but the broader community’s access to open space and civic possibility.
👉 Read my testimony in support of the acquisition of Silk Fields (sent to Lexington’s Community Preservation Committee, Conservation Commission, Precinct 1 Town Meeting Members, and neighbors of the East Lexington Village) and join me in staying informed as the future of this property unfolds.
Land Issue | Lexington MA
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
GOOD FEDERAL STUFF TO KNNOOOWWWW…
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 Textiles HERE.
GLOBAL CONSIDERATIONS
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
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.
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…