The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) yesterday officially signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two key global partners, Jeanologia and Looptworks, to establish the Green Machine Circular Textile Ecosystem – a first-of-its-kind collaboration to accelerate the large-scale recycling of blended textiles.
Textile Exchange has released the agenda for its 2026 Conference, which will take place from October 12–16 in Vancouver, Canada. Under the theme “The Implementation Era,” the event will focus on translating sustainability commitments into practical action and scaling solutions across businesses, supply systems, and landscapes.
The Textile PRO Forum has published a new analysis highlighting the need for greater harmonisation of textile Extended Producer Responsibility systems across Europe. The document, Toward harmonised Textile EPR Systems in Europe: analysis and recommendations, presents the results of work carried out by Workstream 1 of the Textile PRO Forum, led by Dr. Eng. Viola Corbellini, Strategic Development and Innovation Expert at Erion Textiles, and Eng. Luca Campadello, General Director at Erion Textiles. The workstream focused on reducing administrative burden for textile producers by identifying areas where procedures could be better aligned across countries.
The global textile industry appears to be turning a corner, but this is more likely a fragile and possibly temporary improvement than the start of a durable recovery. According to the 38th ITMF Global Textile Industry Survey, conducted worldwide during the second half of May 2026, business sentiment, order intake, order backlogs and capacity utilization all improved versus March — yet every indicator remains weak by historical standards, and rising costs cast doubt on how long the upturn can last.
The footwear industry faces one of the most complex circularity challenges in the fashion sector. A new Phase 1 report from the Fashion for Good initiative Closing the Footwear Loop, developed together with Circle Economy, provides new insights into the composition, condition and recycling potential of post-consumer footwear waste.
As part of the PerPlacsBio project, nova-Institute has updated its popular poster on the biodegradability of polymers in different environments. The updated version reflects current standards, certifications and the latest scientific findings. The poster can be used to assess biodegradable alternatives for use in agriculture and forestry, and it is now available in German for the first time.
With DIN SPEC 35808 “Tree Shelter for Forestry Applications,” the testing and research service provider Hohenstein, in collaboration with Rottenburg University of Forestry, as well as forestry authorities and industry partners, has established a clear framework for bio-based and fully biodegradable tree shelters. The pre-standard defines requirements and practical testing methods designed to reduce plastic waste in forests and strengthen the long-term protection of soil and the environment.
EIM (Environmental Impact Measurement), the global reference platform for measuring the environmental impact of garment finishing, presents the second edition of its annual report Denim Industry Progress & Insights 2025. The study analyses over 100,000 real denim finishing processes, providing an accurate and up-to-date view of the industry’s evolution towards more sustainable models.
The EU textile system is at a critical crossroads. Today, less than 1% of discarded garments are recycled into new garments, despite EU-wide obligations for separate collection. In response, Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) is launching the 2030 Circularity Blueprint, in partnership with ReHubs. This ambitious initiative is designed to support the transformation of the EU textile ecosystem to advance textile-to-textile recycling and drive the transition to a circular economy.
Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certification continued to grow in 2025, with nearly 18,000 certified facilities worldwide, despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainty and rapidly evolving regulatory requirements across global textile supply chains.
bluesign technologies ag (www.bluesign.com) today announces the launch of bluepass, a new certification mark and product labeling system created to deliver clear, substantiated, and verifiable sustainability claims at scale.
The testing and research service provider Hohenstein has published its latest sustainability report, outlining key progress and strategic initiatives. The report focuses on ambitious CO₂ reduction targets, the company’s new mission statement and the systematic expansion of sustainable services for customers worldwide.
Global Standard gGmbH is pleased to announce the release of Draft 2 of the Global Responsible Textile Standard (GRTS) for its second public consultation. The consultation will be open from 1 April 2026 to 30 April 2026, inviting stakeholders across the textile and apparel value chain to provide input and contribute to the further development of this new Standard.
An open-access workshop toolkit enables brands, suppliers, policymakers and investors across the textile industry to apply the System Map in their own work, identifying leverage points to halve emissions and enable a just transition.
Textile Exchange has published the first in a series of seven Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies designed to improve the quality and robustness of environmental impact data for raw material production across the fashion, textile, and apparel industry. The first LCA study focuses on cotton and addresses critical data gaps and methodology variability through new high-quality data across key producing countries. The study includes organic, regenerative, recycled, and country averages for conventional cotton production systems, providing a clearer picture of the associated environmental impact.
Cascale today announced the publication of its APAC Policy Priorities Paper, developed by the Asia-Pacific (APAC) Policy Member Expert Team (MET) to identify key regional sustainability challenges and provide practical, aligned recommendations for policymakers and industry stakeholders across Asia-Pacific.
Global Standard is pleased to announce the release of GOTS Version 8.0, the latest update to the world's leading processing standard for organic textiles. The updated Standard strengthens requirements for air emissions and waste management, as well as criteria for product safety. It introduces new provisions on circularity, microfibre management and updates in residue testing. Version 8.0 also elevates due diligence obligations and formalises governance requirements, including ESG disclosure, anti-corruption policies and conflict-of-interest safeguards, to support credible, responsible business conduct.
The transition from fossil-based to renewable carbon – sourced from biomass, CO₂ utilisation and recycling – is the cornerstone of a climate-neutral chemical industry. The nova-Institute’s new department is dedicated to providing the essential data, analyses and strategic roadmaps required to secure a reliable future feedstock supply and make this transition a commercial and ecological reality.
Textile Exchange has unveiled further details about its new membership structure, designed to guide the fashion, textile, and apparel industry in a collective course of action toward preferred production systems for raw materials and fibers.
Potassium permanganate has officially entered the Chemical Watchlist of the ZDHC Foundation, signaling increased scrutiny and potential phase-out of one of the most hazardous chemicals still used in denim finishing. The inclusion confirms an industry shift that Jeanologia anticipated more than a decade ago.
Global Standard will participate in the Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles and Textile Technologies (VIATT) 2026, organized by Messe Frankfurt, the first textile trade show in the APAC region this year. Global Standard will host a booth and Felica Shi will lead a seminar on Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). The trade fair will take place from February 26 to 28, 2026, in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Cascale today announced the appointment of Ying McGuire as Chief Executive Officer, effective June 1, 2026.
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are now detectable worldwide – in drinking water, soil and the human body. These so-called “forever chemicals” are considered hazardous to health and potentially carcinogenic, as they do not break down and remain in the environment permanently. Despite these risks, PFAS are still used in a wide range of products. More than 15 years ago, VAUDE made a strategic decision to gradually eliminate PFAS from all product categories.
OEKO-TEX® today announced a full collaboration with TextileGenesis, a Lectra company, to digitally trace and authenticate organic cotton, strengthening fraud prevention across the supply chain. This announcement follows a successful pilot and brings together OEKO-TEX®’s certification expertise and closed testing system with TextileGenesis’ digital traceability platform to deliver a secure, end-to-end solution for managing certified organic cotton flows.
The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) is proud to announce that it has been included as a member of the European Commission’s Technical Advisory Board (TAB) on the Product Environmental Footprint methodology. The Commission developed the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) to assess and communicate the life cycle environmental performance of products and organizations.
As Magnera enters a new year, the company is reflecting on a key sustainability milestone from 2025: the launch of ENDURANCE, its global, employee-led initiative focused on waste reduction and sustainable innovation. Launched on Earth Day 2025, this initiative has generated more than 250 improvement submissions from team members across Magnera’s global operations, demonstrating strong engagement and shared accountability for sustainability across the organization.
Today, Apparel Impact Institute (Aii) announced the strategic realignment of its Climate Solutions Portfolio (CSP) grant program to prioritize funding for projects that accelerate supplier-focused electrification.
Cascale today announced program details for Cascale Forum: Colombo, taking place March 30–April 1, 2026 in Sri Lanka. Building on the success of the 2025 Forum in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, this gathering will convene manufacturers, brands, retailers, NGOs, policymakers, and solution providers under the theme “Action by Design: Accelerating a Fairer, More Resilient Value Chain.”
Today, the global, solutions-driven not-for-profit Canopy joined partners at Davos to introduce a new finance model designed to accelerate the growth of low-carbon materials and transform the paper, packaging, and textile supply chains. The event was anchored by a keynote speech from Sri A Revanth Reddy, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Telangana, with India set to host the first iteration of the new investment blueprint.
Storm Creek (ASI#/PPAI#) is proud to announce a meaningful sustainability milestone: the company has achieved bluesign® PRODUCT status: becoming the first US-based supplier in the promotional products industry to earn this globally respected certification. While this marks an industry first, for Storm Creek, it represents something far more important: a continuation of doing what they believe is right.
Textile Exchange has published the final criteria for its Materials Matter Standard—a major milestone in the organization’s multi-year transition toward a unified, impact-driven standards system for raw material production and primary processing.
Against a backdrop of rapidly evolving environmental legislation, the EDANA Sustainability & Policy Forum 2025 concluded the past week in Brussels, marking a step forward in the dialogue between the nonwovens industry and European policymakers. Held from 9-10 December at the historic Residence Palace, the two-day event successfully brought together business leaders, sustainability experts, and EU officials to address the dual challenges of circularity and industrial competitiveness.
YKK Corporation announced its achievement of the highest “A List” rating in the 2025 Climate Change survey conducted by the global environmental disclosure nonprofit, CDP . This marks the third consecutive year YKK has received this prestigious recognition.
Itema is pleased to announce the strategic partnership with Ivy Decarb, the digital platform helping textile companies measure and reduce their carbon footprint.
Teijin Carbon Europe (TCE) has been recognized for its sustainability performance and has been awarded the EcoVadis Silver Medal in the latest assessment. In its first-ever EcoVadis evaluation, the company achieved a notable 72 out of 100 points, ranking among the top 15% of all companies evaluated worldwide, within the “Manufacture of Man-Made Fibres” category.
The development of sustainable plastic solutions is rapidly gaining importance in light of global environ- mental pollution, dwindling fossil resources and ambitious climate protection targets. As part of the re- gional alliance RUBIO, which brings together 18 partners from central Germany and the Berlin-Branden- burg area, the bio-based and biodegradable plastic polybutylene succinate (PBS) was comprehensively investigated, starting with the raw material, through the manufacturing process, to industrial application.
Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals focused on sustainable solutions, has supported the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai, India in the renovation and development of a sustainable laboratory facility as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program.
Arvind Limited, one of India’s leading textile-to-retail conglomerates, and Peak Sustainability Ventures, a Mumbai-based global climate investment firm, have entered into a partnership to build a large-scale cotton stalk torrefaction plant in Gujarat, with a capacity of 40,000+ tonnes per year, to accelerate Arvind’s decarbonization goals and promote torrefaction at scale in India.
Textile Exchange is excited to announce that it is evolving its membership structure to a more action-oriented, impact-driven model designed to provide clearly defined pathways that help organizations respond to the climate and nature crisis.
Fashion for Good launches the first open-source blueprint for near-net-zero textile manufacturing, tackling one of fashion’s biggest emissions hotspots. Developed under the Future Forward Factory project, the blueprint offers Tier 2 manufacturers in India five practical, financially viable pathways to reduce carbon emissions by up to 93%.
The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) has today announced a strategic agreement with Uzbekistan’s Light Industry Agency to increase financial support for cotton farming clusters adopting sustainable agricultural practices.
Eton Systems – a member of TMAS, the Swedish Textile Machinery Association – is taking part in the current Microfactories System Innovation project which is working on the development of a fully automated workflow for second hand garments.
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and One Planet Network (hosted by UNEP) have announced the official launch of the Global Circularity Protocol for business (GCP) at COP30, marking a major milestone in the global transition to a circular economy.
RadiciGroup has published its 21st Sustainability Report, covering the year 2024, confirming more than two decades of transparency and measurement in the economic, environmental, and social dimensions. From its first Social Report in 2004 to the current reporting aligned with the GRI Universal Standards, the Group is now preparing for its next challenge: the adoption of the criteria that will be set out by the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).
At the COP30 UN Climate Change Conference in Belém, Brazil, from 10-21 November, the European Union will reaffirm its strong commitment to climate action. The EU is dedicated to paving the way toward a global transition that is clean, fair, and resilient. This transition aims to provide clean and affordable energy, create business opportunities, stimulate growth, enhance industrial competitiveness, and leave no one behind.
Two years since the launch of its traceability solution, the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) has announced that over 50% of BCI Cotton volumes entering global fashion and textile supply chains are now traceable, deriving from 15 countries.
Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited, a global sustainable chemical company, proudly joins the Climate Action Innovation Zone taking place this year in São Paulo (SP), from November 6 to 8, held for the fifth time in parallel with the UN Climate Change Conference (COP). The event brings together global leaders, companies, and policymakers committed to accelerating industrial innovation and sustainability.
Refreshed Higg FEM 2025 delivers data-driven insights, sharper emission metrics, and enhanced verification to accelerate industry-wide progress.
DuPont announced today that its Nomex® production facility in Tamón, Asturias, has received International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC PLUS) certification. This achievement underscores DuPont's commitment to advancing its sustainability goals and building capabilities to provide reliable Nomex® solutions from sustainable raw materials worldwide.
With a comprehensive 176-page special edition, textile.4U is dedicating its latest issue entirely to one of the most dynamic and influential topics in today’s textile industry: textile recycling. The new issue, published exclusively in high-quality print, presents the Top 100 textile recycling companies researched and selected by TexData – organizations that already play a key role in the transition to circular textiles or are expected to have a significant impact in the near future.
Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals, has won the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) 2025 Sustainability & Innovation Award for DENIM HALO, a revolutionary denim pretreatment and dyeing process. It gives brands and mills a simple way to produce highly sought-after distressed denim looks with a significantly reduced environmental footprint and cleaner chemistries.
At the Textile Exchange Conference in Lisbon, Eastman Naia™ was honored with its fourth consecutive “Dark Green Shirt” in Canopy’s Hot Button Report, an annual ranking of man-made cellulosic fiber producers based on forest conservation, sourcing risk, and supply chain transparency. The recognition confirms Naia™’s ongoing leadership in responsible sourcing and environmental stewardship, distinguishing it as one of the industry’s most trusted fiber platforms.
The non-profit H&M Foundation, in collaboration with Accenture, has unveiled From Signals to Systems Change, an insight report calling on the fashion industry to rethink its role in transformation. At its core is the Reimagined System Map, a pioneering open-source framework that visualises how early-stage innovation could drive a just and net-zero textile future.
EDANA, the international association representing the nonwovens and related industries, considers the European Commission’s recent U-turn on the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) a missed opportunity to deliver a clear and effective framework to help effectively fight global deforestation.
Lenzing AG has once again taken first place in this year's Hot Button Report published by the Canadian non-profit organization Canopy. With 34.5 out of 40 points and no known risk of sourcing from ancient and endangered forests, Lenzing remains one of the most sustainable companies in regenerated cellulose fiber production – setting a benchmark for responsible business practices in the textile and nonwovens industries.
Brands and retailers, suppliers, innovators, recyclers, farmers, non-profit organizations, and academics convened at Textile Exchange’s Annual Conference, held in the Lisbon Conference Centre.
The winners of the ITMF Sustainability & Innovation Awards 2025 will present their project at the upcoming ITMF & IAF Conference 2025 which will be held from 24 - 25 October in Yogyakarta, Indonesia and will be co-hosted by Indonesia Textile Industry Association (API).
Recover™ and Intradeco have been named winners of the Climate and Nature Impact Award for Textile-to-Textile Partnership at the 2025 Textile Exchange Conference in Lisbon.
Textile Exchange is pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 Climate and Nature Impact Awards. These awards recognize individuals and partnerships making progress toward a regenerative and equitable raw materials economy.
The 2025 Textile Exchange Conference brought together more than 1,600 participants on site in Lisbon and online, marking two days of intense dialogue on the future of sustainable and regenerative material systems. With a focus on collaboration, data-driven progress, and systemic transformation, the sessions highlighted both the challenges and the opportunities in building a truly resilient textile industry.
BW Converting announces that its Baldwin TexCoat® G4 precision spray finishing system has been validated through collaboration with Fashion for Good and Apparel Impact Institute (Aii). Following extensive trials and analysis, the technology is now recognized within Aii’s Climate Solutions Portfolio Registry as a proven solution for lowering carbon emissions and resource consumption across the global textile supply chain.
With its revolutionary new membership model, GORE-TEX® Kidswear now offers families a simple, flexible and sustainable way of kitting out their children in top-quality jackets. It is aimed at the parents of children aged between five and ten and kicks off with a choice of functional winter jackets.
The H&M Foundation is committing SEK 53 million (approx. EUR 5 million) towards Future Forward Factories, a five-year initiative led by Fashion for Good, to address fashion’s most polluting stage: tier 2 textile processing.
Proof-of-concept innovation aligns with Company’s broader sustainability goals, aiming to reduce Scope 3 emissions by cutting down on waste to landfill across its value chain.
State of Europe’s environment not good: threats to nature and impacts of climate change top challenges Significant progress has been made in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, but the overall state of Europe’s environment is not good, especially its nature which continues to face degradation, overexploitation and biodiversity loss. The impacts of accelerating climate change are also an urgent challenge, according to the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) most comprehensive, ‘state of environment’ report, published today. The outlook for most environmental trends is concerning and poses major risks to Europe’s economic prosperity, security and quality of life.
YKK Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Koichi Matsushima; hereafter, YKK) will exhibit at the Textile Exchange Conference 2025 in Portugal, held from Monday, October 13 to Friday, October 17, to showcase its products and initiatives that contribute to the realization of a circular economy in the fashion industry.
From October 13 to 17, 2025, the Textile Exchange Conference will take place at the Lisbon Congress Centre, bringing together brands, supply-chain partners, innovators, farmers, NGOs, academics, and more for a week of collaborative learning and exchange. Under the theme “Shifting Landscapes”, this year’s agenda highlights the urgent need for the textile industry to adapt rapidly to changing environmental, political, and economic conditions, while linking adaptation to broader systems transformation.
Textile Exchange has released its latest Materials Market Report, alongside the Materials Benchmark Insights and Trends and an updated Climate+ Dashboard. The findings highlight both record growth in global fiber production and the challenges of aligning the industry with Paris Agreement climate goals.
Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited, a global sustainable chemical company, joins leading brand owners, technology players, weavers, knitters, and alike at the Textile Exchange Conference in Lisbon on October 13-17. Under the conference theme of Shifting Landscapes, Vipin Kumar, Chief Commercial Officer for Indorama Ventures’ Fibers Business, will join the debate on how to unlock opportunities for systems transformation.
SAITEX, a global pioneer in sustainable apparel and denim manufacturing, has released its 2024 Impact Report, highlighting measurable progress toward net-zero operations, renewable energy expansion, and community-driven innovation across its vertically integrated platforms.
The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) have successfully implemented extensive investments in photovoltaic systems at their site in Denkendorf. The systems installed on the roofs of the buildings and covered parking lots have a total installed capacity of 840 kilowatt peak (kWp). The DITF invested 1.6 million euros in this with the support of the state of Baden-Württemberg. The system was ceremonially put into operation on September 17, 2025.
Fashion for Good today announced the launch of The Next Stride: Bio-Based Materials for Footwear Soles, a 12-month project to transform the $400 billion footwear industry¹ by reimagining one of its most impactful components: the sole. In partnership with adidas, Target, and Zalando, alongside leading material innovators Algenesis Labs, Balena, Evoco, KUORI, and Yulex, the initiative will test and validate bio-based polymers as high-performance alternatives to the fossil fuel–derived materials that dominate footwear production. By focusing on the sole (the foundation of every shoe), The Next Stride aims to accelerate the industry’s shift toward scalable, circular solutions.
The updated Version 4.0 has been aligned with the requirements of ISO 17065 and incorporates revised conformity assessment procedures and methodologies for Certification Bodies. These updates reflect best practices in evaluating management systems, thereby strengthening quality assurance, and safeguarding the integrity of certified products.
On 1 September, the H&M Foundation launched the nomination round for the Global Change Award 2026. The international innovation challenge is looking for early-stage ideas that can drive the textile and fashion industry towards circularity and climate neutrality.
Better Cotton, the world’s largest cotton sustainability initiative, has teamed up with climate technology startup Planboo to help cotton farmers reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions – and earn carbon credits for it.
