02/15/2023
What is the LEAPS Conference?
The amount of textile waste generated annually in the U.S. has increased tenfold since the 1960s and now exceeds more than 34 billion pounds annually. Textile waste fills landfills domestically and makes its way to the Global South through the global used textile trade where it has significant environmental health impacts.
While awareness about the global health impacts of textile pollution is growing, this issue is often framed in terms of what individuals can do to reduce their impact and consumption. While individual actions are important, the LEAPS Conference was created to ask a different question: what are the most promising political and structural solutions to reduce textile pollution and its global impacts?
The LEAPS Conference seeks to gather together policy-makers, fashion industry partners, textile recyclers, researchers, educators, students, people living in communities directly affected by textile pollution, and concerned citizens to learn about the latest research and innovation around textile waste and pollution and join together to generate and discuss potential policy solutions. The conference will emphasize inclusion of voices and perspectives on these issues from the Global South.
LEAPS stands for "Leveraging Environmental, Art & Policy Stakeholders to Address Textile Waste Pollution and Facilitate Sustainable Transition."