TOP STORY

Evidence, Assumptions and Uncertainty Shape California’s Textile EPR Debate

California’s attempt to build a large-scale textile recovery system is unfolding with limited precedents and incomplete data. Julie Cerenzia, Director at Cascadia Consulting, explains how the modelling behind the SB 707 debate draws on international comparisons, industry assumptions and evolving market realities to estimate the environmental and economic potential of diverting textile waste.

Other Top Stories
 
CIRCULARITY / RECYCLING / SECONDS / WASTE

India Wants to Lead Circular Fashion but the Infrastructure Isn't Ready

The economic case for textile recycling in India is no longer speculative. With a market projected to reach $3.5 billion by 2030 and the potential to create nearly one lakh green jobs, discarded fabric is increasingly being treated as recoverable capital. But a new government-commissioned report reveals that the systems required to actually capture that value remain underdeveloped, informal, and unevenly distributed across the country.

 
FLASHPOINT: CLIMATE
Decarbonisation / AII Benchmark

The Apparel Impact Institute (AII) has launched the Energy and Carbon Benchmark, a new tool designed to measure energy use and emissions across textile manufacturing processes. Developed with industry partners, it establishes process-level metrics to compare facilities, track performance over time, and guide collective decarbonisation efforts across the global fashion supply chain.

China Trends / Growth Story

China’s textile and apparel industry emissions were driven largely by household consumption and exports between 2000 and 2018, according to new modelling research. The study found that integrating renewable energy adoption with expanded clothing recycling could curb long-term emissions growth across interconnected supply chains while supporting continued industrial development.

 
 
 
FOCUS: COTTON

Mulberry Silk’s Triangular Fibre Structure Produces Its Signature Soft Lustre and Optical Glow, Scientific Report Shows

A scientific report has examined the microscopic structure and physicochemical properties of mulberry silk, explaining why the fibre displays distinctive lustre, smoothness and skin compatibility. Using microscopy and biomedical research, the analysis describes how silk’s natural microstructure influences optical reflection, friction behaviour, moisture absorption and potential applications in textiles, beauty and biomedical materials.

 
 
 
SPOTLIGHT EDITIONS: SELECT 4
 
 

"Quote Unquote"

Mattias Wallander
Mattias Wallander
Chief Executive Officer
USAgain
The real hurdle isn't the map, but the fragmented municipal governance: complex, varying permit costs and restrictive zoning are barriers to expansion. If local governments can align on model ordinances and move away from restrictive industrial-only zoning, the 13% yearover- year growth seen in France may be possible in California.

"Quote Unquote"

Annemiek Smits
Annemiek Smits
Corporate Engagement Manager, Fashion
Solidaridad
We push brands by changing the rules of the game. We are moving the goalposts from a narrow focus on certified materials to a holistic vision of sustainability where a prosperous farmer is the key performance indicator. It’s a slow and deliberate process, but by publicly measuring what truly matters, we make it impossible for brands to ignore the 70% of people who form the foundation of their entire industry.
 
FOCUS: LEATHER

IILF 2026 Exposes Gap Between Boardroom Sustainability and Tannery Floor Reality

Chennai's IILF 2026 exposed contradictions shaping India's leather industry: innovative chemical systems alongside organisational failures, Trump tariffs suppressing demand yet prices holding firm, and sustainability frameworks that never reach tannery workers. The 'Leather Carnival' demonstrated both the sector's professionalisation and its struggle to reconcile traditional identity with market realities.