Updates

The 105th edition of Expo Riva Schuh and Gardabags has closed with steady international attendance and a sharpened focus on global trade shifts. Approximately 8,000 attendees, over two thirds from abroad, gathered across four days, alongside more than 1,000 brands from 44 countries. The edition introduced new Summer 2027 collections and welcomed international delegations, while reflecting growing buyer interest from Poland, India and Latin America.

Three working machines that separate, open and analyse used textile items have been completed, marking a shift from concept to industrial-scale reality for the SORTED consortium. The machines demonstrate that fully automated sorting and processing can work together in practice, with sorting costs potentially falling by as much as 80 per cent once four further machines now in development are completed.

Fibre traceability systems built over two decades cannot meet evidence standards now being enforced under EU and US regulations, a new paper has revealed. Material identity is lost before tracking software records it, leaving most origin and recycled-content claims resting on paperwork rather than physical proof across every major fibre category.

Key elements of the EU's textile labelling framework have become outdated since 2011, no longer reflecting market realities, technological progress, or the broader EU policy environment. A joint call from five European trade organisations to the European Commission has identified four priority areas: fibre tolerance rules, digitalisation of labelling, internal market fragmentation, and the boundary between the TLR and the Digital Product Passport.

Textile extended producer responsibility (EPR) systems across Europe remain highly fragmented, with no harmonised approach to registration, reporting or invoicing, according to a new analysis covering 12 Producer Responsibility Organisations across 11 countries. The findings identify priority areas for alignment and call for a common core of rules to ease the compliance load on producers.

Pakistan has the recycling infrastructure and brand relationships needed to capitalise on EU circular economy regulations, new research has found. Gaps in digital traceability and cross-ministry coordination risk undermining the country's competitive position, with three policy instruments proposed to close the data gap before a narrow compliance window closes.

A new Designers Area has expanded the curatorial concept at Munich Fabric Start's 30th anniversary edition, running 14 to 16 July 2026 at the MOC Munich. The show presents five Autumn.Winter 27/28 fabric trends under the leitmotif "TASTE." and consolidates into three halls following the long-term re-letting of Hall 4 by the venue owner.

Forever chemical levels in textiles have fallen sharply since California and New York banned intentionally added PFAS in apparel and household products, new product testing reveals. NRDC tested 115 products and found most well below legal thresholds, though tablecloths, pet accessories, and reusable diapers show continued non-compliance with state law.

Volume-first sourcing has left the apparel industry exposed to chronic overproduction, excess inventory and trapped capital, a new manifesto from the International Apparel Federation (IAF) has argued. Developed by the IAF Business Innovation Committee (BIC), the document calls for a shift toward end-to-end productivity, smart flexibility and shared value creation, arguing that systemic inefficiency, not manufacturing cost, drives the industry's greatest losses.

A new lifecycle assessment study on polyester has been published, providing fresh impact data on virgin production in Southeast Asia and recycled production in China, Europe, and the United States. The findings pinpoint where environmental pressure is concentrated across production routes and include a social assessment of conditions affecting workers and communities.