Bill 90 Explained: What Ontario’s Textile Waste Act (2025) Actually Does, and Why It Matters
Last updated: February 26, 2026
If you’ve ever cleaned out your closet and wondered where “donated” or tossed clothes really end up, you’re not alone.
In Ontario (and across Canada), a huge share of unwanted textiles still end up in landfill, and the systems we wish existed (collection, sorting, repair, resale, recycling) don’t scale without clear rules, stable funding, and accountability.
That’s what Bill 90 is trying to change, but not in the way many people assume.
Key takeaways (TL;DR):
Bill 90 does not create an instant textile recycling program.
It amends Ontario’s Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act (RRCEA) to trigger a time-bound review on how textiles could be added as a regulated material.
It requires government to consult widely, report back, and keep publishing updates until textiles are officially designated.
Real success looks like reuse-first infrastructure, better data, clear expectations for brands, and protecting the reuse and charity ecosystem, not overpromising recycling that doesn’t exist yet.
Now, let’s get into the details…
What is Bill 90?
Bill 90 (Textile Waste Act, 2025) was introduced by MPP Mary-Margaret McMahon. As of today, it is at First Reading (ordered for Second Reading), meaning it’s not law yet.
Bill 90’s core purpose is procedural: it creates a structured pathway for Ontario to determine how textiles could be included in the province’s circular economy framework under the RRCEA.
What Bill 90 actually does (and the timeline it sets)
If Bill 90 passes and receives Royal Assent, it would require the Minister to:
01. Start a formal review within 3 months
The Minister must commence a review no later than three months after the relevant section comes into force.
02. Consult the full ecosystem (not just one group)
The bill explicitly requires consultation with:
companies that manufacture, distribute, or import clothing/household textiles
organizations that collect, sort, process, or haul textiles for reuse/repair/recycling
NGOs working on waste reduction and circularity
municipalities
the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA)
03. Report findings within 6 months of starting the review
Within six months of commencing the review, the Minister must report to the Legislative Assembly, including an estimated timeline for when textiles could be designated.
04. Keep providing public updates until textiles are designated
If textiles aren’t designated after the initial reporting milestones, the bill requires ongoing updates at set intervals until the job is done.
Bottom line: Bill 90 is a governance and accountability bill. It prevents textile waste from being quietly deprioritized by forcing a transparent process and timeline.
What Bill 90 does not do
Let’s be crystal clear, because this is where confusion happens.
Bill 90 does not:
create a province-wide textile recycling program overnight
immediately make brands responsible under Ontario’s EPR framework tomorrow
magically solve textile waste
Instead, it starts the formal process to determine how Ontario should do this, based on evidence, consultation, and realistic infrastructure planning.
Why should everyday Ontarians care?
Because textile waste is already a massive problem, and a massive opportunity.
Researchers estimate Canadians throw away about 500 million kilograms (roughly a billion pounds) of clothing and other textiles each year. And Canada-focused research has estimated that the majority of used/waste apparel still goes to landfill (with diversion far below what’s possible).
Here’s the part we don’t talk about enough:
Reuse is the near-term win
A significant portion of textiles collected can be reused, and reuse is where the strongest environmental and affordability benefits show up first.
We need to build a system that prioritizes:
better collection and sorting
repair and resale capacity
transparency on where textiles go
stable funding to run it all
In summary: we can keep more clothing in use, reduce landfill pressure, and expand access to affordable pre-loved apparel.
What success should look like in Ontario
At Fashion Takes Action, we’ll be watching for whether Bill 90 leads to a system that is clear, measurable, and reuse-first, not just a promise on paper.
Short-term success looks like:
A stable funding mechanism to support collection, sorting, and reuse infrastructure
A public implementation timeline (with milestones Ontarians can track)
Defined responsibilities for brand holders/importers/retailers (so accountability is real)
Clear performance expectations (targets that reflect what’s actually feasible)
Consistent data collection and reporting (so we can measure what’s working)
Protection of existing reuse systems (including charities and community-based collectors)
Longer-term success looks like:
Less textile disposal to landfill
Stronger and more accessible reuse and repair options
Better sorting capacity that supports local reuse markets first
Greater traceability of material flows (including exports)
This is why Bill 90’s emphasis on a structured, time-bound process matters: without structure, textiles remain a “nobody’s problem” waste stream.
Consultation is where the outcome gets decided
A key strength of Bill 90 is that it requires Ontario to consult across the full system, including brands, collectors and sorters, municipalities, NGOs, and the regulator (RPRA).
Why that matters: the design choices made during consultation determine whether the policy actually reduces waste, or accidentally creates new problems.
A poorly designed approach could:
overwhelm existing collectors and charities,
push more textiles overseas with limited transparency,
or over-rely on “recycling” capacity that isn’t realistically available at scale yet.
What YOU can do right now (while policy catches up)
Even as Bill 90 moves through the legislative process, your actions still matter:
Wear longer: care, rewear, restyle
Repair sooner: small fixes early prevent early disposal
Choose resale first: secondhand reduces demand for new production
Donate responsibly: clean, wearable donations; use textile-specific drop-offs for non-wearables where available
Follow the bill’s progress: and support a consultation process that is broad, transparent, and time-bound
FAQ
Is Bill 90 law right now?
As of February 26, 2026, Bill 90 is still progressing through the legislative process (not yet in force).
Does Bill 90 create an immediate textile recycling program?
No. It triggers a formal review and consultation process to determine how textiles could be included within Ontario’s circular economy rules and on what timeline.
What should Ontarians look for if Bill 90 advances?
A clear timeline, transparent reporting, defined responsibilities for producers, and investment that strengthens reuse and existing collectors/charities.