The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed a new reference material designed to help textile recyclers and manufacturers more accurately identify and sort fabrics, a move researchers say could strengthen the domestic supply chain for recycled clothing.
The material, known as Research Grade Test Material (RGTM) 10279, Textiles for Feedstock Identification, consists of five fabric squares, each measuring four inches per side, made from different fibers in both dyed and undyed versions. NIST is distributing the material free of charge through the NIST Store until July 30, in exchange for participation in a study that will run through September 30.
Researchers estimate that 56% of clothing and textiles are suitable for recycling or recovery, but most never re-enter the domestic supply chain. NIST attributes the gap partly to the high volume of donated clothing and the slow, labor-intensive nature of manual fabric sorting, which limits how much material is reprocessed into new products.
To speed up sorting, the textile industry has increasingly turned to artificial intelligence and automated identification tools. Recycling centers commonly rely on near-infrared spectroscopy, in which handheld scanners or conveyor-mounted sensors measure how light passes through or scatters off fabric to generate a signature that identifies the fiber content. Other facilities use computer vision systems that sort by color and appearance, or hyperspectral imaging, which combines near-infrared and camera-based sensing. Without a shared benchmark, however, operators have had limited ability to confirm that these methods deliver consistent, comparable results across different facilities.
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NIST materials research engineer Amanda Forster said the new material would make sorting measurements comparable from one center to another, calling it a foundation for expanding supply chains and recovering more economic value from used textiles in the United States.
The RGTM belongs to a newer category of NIST reference materials that are produced on a faster timeline than the agency’s standard reference materials. NIST distributes RGTMs to laboratories that agree to test them and report results, helping the agency determine whether a candidate material is fit for its intended purpose. In this case, the fiber composition of the test squares has not been disclosed, allowing participating labs, manufacturers and other organizations to independently assess their own identification methods against an unknown sample. NIST said feedback from participants will remain anonymous and will be used to refine a more thoroughly validated reference material.
Beyond recycling applications, researchers said the material could serve manufacturers earlier in the production process. NIST guest researcher Katarina Goodge said the tool could help brands verify that a fabric ordered as, for example, 100% cotton was not in fact a cotton-polyester blend, giving buyers a way to confirm they received the materials they paid for. Forster added that the material could also help detect fiber content not disclosed on a garment’s label, a capability she said matters for recycling accuracy. NIST said the material could potentially support fashion authentication efforts to detect counterfeit luxury goods, though the agency is not currently pursuing that application.
NIST researcher Michelle Seitz said the project addresses an industry-wide measurement challenge, noting that standards such as the RGTM are intended to improve textile identification and sorting in ways that support AI-enabled sorting technology as well as broader U.S. manufacturing and industrial goals.
NIST said its next step is determining whether the RGTM performs reliably in real-world industrial settings, beyond the controlled conditions of a laboratory.
Organizations interested in joining the study can obtain the material through the NIST Store and contact the agency’s fiber identification research team directly. Results gathered from participating labs are expected to inform a refined version of the reference material aimed at meeting the sorting and recycling industry’s broader measurement needs, as manufacturers and recyclers push to reduce waste, cut disposal costs and expand the volume of textiles reintroduced into U.S. production lines.