At the recent Future Fabrics Expo in London, textile recycling specialist RE&UP convened a private breakfast session titled “Yesterday’s garments, today’s raw materials – what’s holding us back?” The event brought together 50 innovators, brands, and retailers committed to advancing circularity in fashion.
Moderated by RE&UP’s Senior PR and Marketing Manager Keith O’Brien, the panel featured prominent voices including Nienke Steen from the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute and Priyanka Khanna of Fashion for Good. The discussion focused on systemic and technical obstacles that currently hinder the scaling of textile-to-textile recycling.
Panelists explored critical barriers such as infrastructure gaps, insufficient investment, and the need for certification and standardization. Collaboration models driving progress in the industry were also highlighted as key to overcoming these challenges.
Andreas Dorner, General Manager of RE&UP, emphasized the sector’s momentum, stating, “Yesterday’s garments are already today’s raw materials. There are still challenges, but we’re operating at scale – and with the right partners, we’ll continue to do better.”
This session underscored the growing urgency and collective effort required to build a more sustainable and circular textile industry.
