T E X T I L E I N D U S T R Y N E W S O N R E U S E , R E C Y C L I N G A N D C I R C U L A R I T Y

TEXTILE POLICY TOWARDS 2026

When good intentions meet bad outcomes: fixing it all at once

The textile sector does not suffer from a lack of ambition. It faces the risk of oversimplification.

As strategies translate into binding rules and intentions into obligations, the margin for error narrows. What matters now is not how forcefully problems are framed, but how carefully solutions are constructed.

This makes the coming years a period that demands close scrutiny of data, assumptions and power dynamics, rather than quick conclusions.

FULL STORY HERE

The textile sector does not suffer from a lack of ambition. It faces the risk of oversimplification.

As strategies translate into binding rules and intentions into obligations, the margin for error narrows. What matters now is not how forcefully problems are framed, but how carefully solutions are constructed.

This makes the coming years a period that demands close scrutiny of data, assumptions and power dynamics, rather than quick conclusions.

FULL STORY HERE

When is a T-shirt waste? How global textile flows can be redrawn

Siptex closure highlights fiber-to-fiber market failures

As regulators move to tighten controls on global textile waste, the recycling and reuse industry is pushing back. At the centre of the dispute is a deceptively simple question with far-reaching consequences: when does a used garment become waste, and when is it still a product?

The Swedish automated textile-sorting facility Siptex, widely regarded as the world’s first large-scale industrial plant of its kind, is now being offered for sale, its owner Sysav has confirmed. The decision marks a significant shift for the project, which was originally developed to help close the loop in textile recycling through advanced sorting technology.

January 26, 2026

December 14, 2025

Kenyan president confirms no ban on second-hand clothing imports

Kenya’s decision not to ban second-hand clothing imports challenges dominant narratives that portray reuse as a waste problem or a threat to local textile industries. Instead, it highlights the role of second-hand markets in livelihoods, affordability and circular economies, while exposing the need for more evidence-based trade and waste policies.

January 22, 2026

January 20, 2026

“AGOA plays a critical role
but offers no long term certainty”

In mid-January, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a one-year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, AGOA, temporarily preserving duty-free trade with eligible African partner countries. According to Jessica Franken at SMART duty free access under AGOA is essential for U.S. exports of secondhand clothing. The short extension buys time but leaves collectors and traders
exposed to political uncertainty.

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The elusive truth behind the second-hand export debate | Part 1

The amazing story about the mountains of textile waste in Ghana. Mountains that doesn´t exist, but nevertheless have been broadcasted all around the world as a major problem. Unfortunately these claims has also influenced policymakers and politicians within the EU, which has led to new regulations that actually threatens the circular system of clothes.