Dive Brief:

• City and County officials in San Francisco have launched the "Zero Waste Textile Initiative" in an effort to move towards achieving zero waste by 2020.

• The program will collect used clothing from residents who are encouraged to put the donated clothing in donation bins around San Francisco, including receptacles around businesses and apartment buildings. Apparel will then be recycled.

• Residents can also drop off used clothing to local stores that are participating in the program.

Dive Insight:

Clothing is one of the top three materials in landfills; San Francisco discards over 39 million pounds of textiles into waste sites annually. Retailers participating in the program include H&M, Levi Strauss, American Eagle Outfitters and The North Face. New York City implemented its own apparel recycling program, "Re-Fashion" last summer, in an effort to encourage textile recycling in the city.