Textile circularity took centre stage at this year’s Future Fabrics Expo, where RE&UP hosted an exclusive breakfast session titled “Yesterday’s garments, today’s raw materials – what’s holding us back?” The event convened more than 50 industry professionals – including innovators, retailers, brands, and media – to tackle the pressing issue of scaling textile-to-textile recycling.
Moderated by Keith O’Brien, Senior PR & Marketing Manager at RE&UP, the panel featured two leading voices in sustainability: Nienke Steen of Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute and Priyanka Khanna of Fashion for Good. The discussion shed light on both the technical and systemic barriers slowing the progress of circular textile systems.
Key themes explored included:
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The infrastructural and financial challenges in building scalable recycling systems
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The critical need for certification frameworks and standardized protocols
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Proven collaborative models that are breaking through bottlenecks and fostering innovation
The session reflected RE&UP’s broader mission: to facilitate transparent, action-driven conversations that bridge ambition with practical implementation in textile circularity.
Andreas Dorner, General Manager of RE&UP, emphasized the urgency and opportunity: “Yesterday’s garments are already today’s raw materials. While challenges remain, we’re operating at scale—and with the right partners, we’ll continue to do better.”
