Sep 25, 2025 (MarketLine via COMTEX) --
A new report from non-profit Accelerating Circularity has indicated that though the US is generating over 15.4m MT of used textiles each year, less than 1% is recycled back into new clothing, with fragmentation of collection infrastructure, the cost of textile-to-textile recycling and low demand cited as key barriers.
Moreover, while textile-to-textile recycling innovators are increasingly coming on board, the US falls aEURoewoefully shortaEUR when comparing recycling capacity figures to Europe and Asia.
Who are the biggest innovators in textile-to-textile recycling at the moment?Eastman Chemical is a notable player operating at scale today in the US, leveraging post-consumer carpets in production. They achieved on-spec initial production of polyester in March 2024 at their Kingsport, Tennessee, plant.
H&M-backed Syre is establishing a blueprint textile-to-textile (T2T) recycling plant in Cedar Creek NC, by mid-2025, delivering up to 10,000 MT of polyester per year.
Reju indicated that it was exploring the construction of a plant in North America in collaboration with WM and Goodwill, targeting 2027-2028, but recently announced plans for a commercial-scale plant in the Netherlands.
Ambercycle, based in Los Angeles, is progressing toward the construction of its first commercial facility by 2026, though it has not yet indicated whether the plant will be located in the United States.
Daneville, Virginia-based Circ has recently announced a 70,000 MT plant in France but has indicated ambitions to develop a commercial-scale plant in the US.
However, the report suggests that most investment is occurring overseas. Large volumes of US post-consumer textiles are sent to Central America and South Asia, where the sorting and recycling take place. These regions have several key advantages: a supportive regulatory environment, existing infrastructure that can process textiles at scale, and a skilled workforce familiar with the technologies involved.
Speaking to Just Style on the release of the report, founder and president, Karla Magruder, explains there are some indications the US is moving in the right direction, among other things, such as the introduction of automation and policy.
aEURoeAutomation is going to be something that can really help because it'll help with the speed and the volume and hopefully the accuracy.A
aEURoeAnd the market needs to demand these products, brands, and retailers need to make this a priority for scaled adoption. And that's going to happen through some of the standards.aEUR
But she is under no illusion: aEURoeWe're all sort of enamoured by the pretty shiny penny and I am too.aEUR
aEURoeI like all these innovations. But the collecting and sorting aEUR" that needs to be aggregated. The automation? That needs to happen.aEUR
She says for these reasons, it is difficult to talk of a timeline for the solutions Accelerating Circularity proposes in its report.
aEURoeCan those things that work today help pull the industry along? Or are the brands just too interested in those shiny new things and not paying attention enough to those existing things that can help us move that more quickly?A
aEURoeI am an optimist.ABut I did think that in some ways, we would be much farther than we are now. And then in other ways, I'm not surprised. The more you learn, the more you see about all the details and things that need to happen.
aEURoeBut at the same time, we also know there are things that could happen today that aren't. And so if we flip the switch on those things, we'll move much more quickly than we're moving today.
aEURoeThe next steps, I think, are actually pretty clear. We just have to belly up to the bar and get this stuff done.aEUR
What are the biggest barriers to textile recycling?In its 'RAGS TO REVENUE: Unlocking post-consumer textile recycling in the US report,' Accelerating Circularity identifies several barriers to textile recycling.
Usable recycling feedstock is lost at every step of the value chain: Collection infrastructure is fragmented and typically focused on reuse. Consumer participation is low, and what is collected cannot be sorted and aggregated to meet the strict input specifications of textile recyclers.
Post-consumer textile-to-textile recycling (PCT2T) is expensive and largely unprofitable today: The current value chain relies heavily on manual sortation, costly preprocessing steps such as disruptor removal and shredding, and capital-intensive recycling technologies, all operating well below economic scale.
Demand for recycled fibre is low: Brands are hesitant to commit to recycled fibre due to price premiums, uncertain quality, and limited traceability. At the same time, there is little policy in place to incentivise or require adoption.
Three solutions to overcome these barriersImprove feedstock along the value chain through expanded collection networks, standardised bale specifications, public campaigns to increase consumer participation, increasing the cost of landfill disposal, and designing for T2T recyclability.
Reduce system costs by aggregating material, investing in automation, developing regional recycling hubs, attracting support through reframing economic benefits, and increasing access to low-cost financing.
Create robust market demand via recycled content mandates, extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes, public procurement targets, long-term brand offtake agreements, and tools to improve quality assurance and traceability.
aEURoeIf implemented in parallel, these interventions can dramatically improve the commercial viability of circular textile systems,aEUR reads the report.
The business case for post-consumer textile to textile recyclingCurrently over 13.1m MT of textiles are sent to landfills each year.
aEURoeBeyond environmental benefits, textile-to-textile recycling represents a strategic industrial opportunity for the US aEUR" one that can enhance material security, support domestic manufacturing, and drive innovation fibre recovery. With the right combination of investment, policy support, and cross-sector collaboration, the US can turn its growing mountain of used textiles into a scalable, circular textile supply chain.aEUR
A combination of factors is creating an urgent need for textile-to-textile recycling to scale up faster in the United States.
Ultra-fast fashion is overwhelming waste management capacity:
The 13.1m MT of textiles sent to landfill each year in the US can take up to 200 years to decompose while releasing greenhouse gases such as methane and leaching dyes and chemicals into soil and water. Textiles now account for nearly 8% of landfill mass in the United States, a dramatic rise over the past two decades driven by fast fashion and throwaway culture. This trend has only accelerated in recent years with the meteoric rise of ultra-fast fashion brands. The environmental burden is compounded by the fact that an increasing number of discarded textiles are made from synthetic fibres, which do not biodegrade, contribute to microplastics, and can persist for hundreds of years.
The environmental impacts of first generation materials are severe:
The production of first-generation fibres for US apparel comes at a significant environmental cost. Cotton cultivation and the processes to manufacture one cotton t-shirt require up to 2,700 litres of water, enough for one personaEUR(TM)s drinking needs for nearly two and a half years. Polyester is derived from petroleum and emits around 9.5kg of CO2 per kg of fibre produced. Together, the reliance on first-generation cotton and polyester, two of the most common textile materials, contributes to water scarcity, chemical pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions, making fibre production a major contributor to the fashion industryaEUR(TM)s environmental footprint.
Consumers are demanding more from brands on sustainability:
Sustainability initiatives, including circularity, have become significantly more mainstream both in terms of consumer expectations and apparel brands supporting them. The Retail Industry Leaders Association reports that 93% of global consumers expect brands to support social and environmental issues, with nearly 60% of respondents from another recent survey claiming they are willing to change their shopping habits to reduce environmental impacts.
Brands embracing sustainability often outperform peers e.g., products making ESG-related claims averaged 28% cumulative growth over the past five-year period, versus 20% on average, demonstrating the business value of sustainability.
Fast fashion brands have faced backlash for their perceived wastefulness, creating an opportunity for more durable aEUR~slow-fashionaEUR(TM) to compete and gain customer loyalty. However, brands wanting to stand out from the pack need to go further than before e.g., by embracing post-consumer recycled textile inputs.
US and global regulatory momentum is forcing apparel brands to react:
We are already seeing real regulatory traction around recycled textiles globally, largely driven by Europe. The EU's Waste Framework Directive will likely be finalised before the end of 2025, requiring each EU country to establish individual national EPR systems for textiles. France, Netherlands, Hungary and Latvia have forged ahead and already put in place their own textile EPR schemes.
The EUaEUR(TM)s EPR is complemented by the Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles, mandating design requirements for durability and recyclability.
The US is also beginning to build momentum at the state-level. CaliforniaaEUR(TM)s Responsible Textile Recovery Act (SB 707), the USaEUR(TM) first EPR programme for textiles, mandates the formation of Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs) to handle collection, sorting, and recycling.
The State will implement SB 707 by 2028 with full rollout by 2030. California alone is the fourth largest economy in the world, meaning compliance is essential for any large apparel brand. Indeed, CaliforniaaEUR(TM)s market influence often means similar policy ripples outwards to other states in ensuing years.
Supply chains are increasingly vulnerable to economic, geopolitical and climate shocks:
Global trade is undergoing a significant transformation, with recent geopolitical tensions and rising protectionism driving fragmentation into regional blocs. The pandemic exposed the vulnerabilities of global supply chains, driving a re-evaluation by businesses seeking a more resilient sourcing network.
A rapid increase in tariffs and trade barriers is creating further urgency for US firms to diversify supply chains and look for on-shoring opportunities. In the short-to medium term this creates an opportunity for recycled textiles to provide agility and resilience.
Brands can insulate some portion of their fibre sourcing from supply chain volatility by shifting to recycled inputs. Onshoring parts of supply chains could also help reduce inventory loss from unsold merchandise, and allow for faster responses to market changes. Brands can view this as a form of insurance policy against volatility.
Over the long-term, climate change will increasingly threaten the security of global supply chains. Recycled fibres can reduce the industryaEUR(TM)s dependency on the extraction and production of first-gen fibres, mitigating environmental damage while insulating from price fluctuations and availability of first-generation materials.
Last week speciality polyester manufacturer Selenis launched Texnascis, its new brand dedicated to textile-to-textile recycling.
And US-based textile-to-textile innovator, Circ, struck a strategic partnership with Arvind Limited, one of IndiaaEUR(TM)s largest integrated textile and apparel companies. The agreement marks a significant step forward in scaling access to CircaEUR(TM)s recycled polyester and lyocell products and will expand the availability of next-genrecycled fibres to the global brands Arvind serves aEUR" accelerating the adoption of textile-to-textile materials across the industry.
http://www.datamonitor.com
Republication or redistribution, including by framing or similar means,
is expressly prohibited without prior written consent. Datamonitor shall
not be liable for errors or delays in the content, or for any actions
taken in reliance thereon
COMTEX_469038924/2227/2025-09-25T09:43:33
Copyright (C) 2025 Datamonitor. All rights reserved
