As brands pursue ambitious textile-to-textile (T2T) recycling goals, the biggest hurdle is no longer technology, but rather aligning sourcing, product development and the broader supply chain to make it work at scale.

As Europe’s new waste rules force brands to take responsibility for what happens to clothing after consumers discard it, the fashion industry is racing to build the sorting and recycling infrastructure needed to turn textile waste into a viable new raw material stream.

Reju CEO Patrik Frisk says textile recycling can’t scale until brands invest in the unglamorous backbone of sorting, aggregation and waste logistics. 

In an AMCIRC webinar, experts discussed what to expect as more states step up to the extended producer responsibility plate. 

Incoming legislation means apparel must move into the implementation phase of textile-to-textile recycling, but questions remain about whether fashion can accelerate swiftly enough to head off further climate crises.