Do You Need to Register with Landbell USA? Understanding Textile EPR
Last updated: October 20, 2026
If your company sells apparel, footwear or household textiles to California customers and earns more than $1 million a year globally, you very likely need to register with Landbell USA. Landbell USA is the only producer responsibility organization (PRO) approved by CalRecycle under California SB 707, and joining it is mandatory for obligated producers. The July 1, 2026 deadline has passed, but late registration is still open.
What is Landbell USA?
Landbell USA is a U.S. nonprofit organization that belongs to the Landbell Group, a German company with extended producer responsibility experience in Europe. CalRecycle approved it on February 27, 2026, choosing it over two other applicants, the Circular Textile Alliance and the Textile Renewal Alliance.
Its job is to collect producer fees, manage reporting to CalRecycle, commission the statewide needs assessment and later submit the stewardship plan that will define how California's textile collection and recycling system works. Landbell USA's status as a nonprofit is part of the dispute in the AAFA lawsuit, which is still pending.
Who needs to register?
You should assess registration if all of these are true:
- You are the producer of the product. That means the brand owner, or, when there is no brand owner subject to the law, the licensee, manufacturer, importer, distributor or retailer further down the chain.
- You sell covered products: apparel, footwear, accessories or household textiles such as bedding and pillows.
- Your annual aggregate global revenue is at least $1 million, counting all revenue and not only California or textile sales.
- You sell products that are not exclusively secondhand.
If you fail any of the last two tests you are likely exempt. Read more in our guide to the secondhand exemption.
How does Landbell USA registration work?
The registration portal opened in spring 2026. The process is short:
- Eligibility questionnaire. A brief assessment confirms whether you are an obligated producer.
- Registration form. Once eligibility is confirmed, the form takes around five minutes according to Landbell.
- Compliance Service Agreement. Signing it is part of formal registration.
- Fee payment. The 2026–2027 cycle is a flat annual fee of $1,000 per producer.
- Producer ID. Registration generates a producer identification number and places you in compliance reporting to CalRecycle.
No product or sales volume data was required at the registration stage. Questions can go to landbellusa.support@landbellgroup.com.
What does registration cost?
The $1,000 fee is an administrative fee, not a volume-based charge. It funds program setup and the needs assessment. Later fees are expected to depend on the volume and design of the covered products you sell, and the PRO's plan will set them. Budget for fees to change after the first cycle.
What if you missed the July 1, 2026 deadline?
Landbell USA is still processing late applications, but it treats producers who did not enroll by July 1 as non-compliant. Administrative penalties of up to $10,000 per day have been reported for violations. Compliance providers cite different figures, and it is unlikely every late registration draws the maximum, but waiting adds risk for no benefit. Register as soon as you have confirmed you are obligated.
Does the legal challenge change anything?
No, not for now. The AAFA lawsuit challenges CalRecycle's choice of Landbell USA. A court denied AAFA's request to pause implementation on September 17, 2026, and a hearing on the main challenge is set for March 12, 2027. Until a court rules otherwise, the registration duty stands.
Do marketplaces register for me?
Do not count on it. If you sell your own branded products through Amazon, Shopify or another marketplace, Landbell USA treats you as the obligated producer. CalRecycle is also developing separate concepts for online marketplaces, so watch its upcoming workshops.
What happens after you register?
- Landbell USA's needs assessment of California's textile infrastructure is due March 1, 2027.
- CalRecycle will hold informal workshops through spring 2027, then begin formal rulemaking around mid-2027.
- Regulations cannot take effect before July 1, 2028.
Start cleaning your product data now, because later reporting will rely on fiber and material information. Our product catalog audit guide shows how.
Frequently asked questions
Is registering with Landbell USA optional? No. CalRecycle requires obligated producers to join the approved PRO.
Can I form my own PRO? Not at this stage. Landbell USA is the sole approved PRO.
Do I register once per brand or once per company? Landbell USA's eligibility questionnaire maps your company to the producer hierarchy. Contact its support team if you own several brands.
Does a $1,000 fee mean I'm done? No. It covers the first cycle only. Reporting and volume-based fees are expected to follow.
Related guides
- What Is California SB 707? A Complete Guide for Apparel Brands
- Are Secondhand and Vintage Clothes Exempt from California SB 707?
- Why Product Data Hygiene Matters for Apparel Brands Selling to California
This article is general information, not legal advice.
Sources
- Landbell Group: registration open and 2026–2027 fees
- PPAI: SB 707 FAQ
- Textalks: deadline passes as Landbell urges late producers to register
- Keller and Heckman: CalRecycle approves Landbell USA
- Ecotextile: California textile EPR enters rulemaking phase
- Just Style: court denies preliminary injunction