Textiles
The Recycling Market Development Center is hosting discussions around manufacturing of textiles and management of textile waste. The RMDC supports information sharing, data analysis, and mapping to help inform on textile-related issues.
Current threads
Unraveling the Textile Industry for a Regenerative Washington
In early October 2024, the RMDC organized a 12-person Textile Co-Design team to develop a webinar series for Washington State that weaves the global complexities of the textile industry into a regional context.
The 4-part webinar series debuted in Spring 2025 and reached over 500 participants. Speakers shared their experiences and perspectives to spark dialogue, collaboration, and action.
Series videos
Webinar #1: Cut from the Same Cloth: Level Setting
Establish a shared understanding of the current state of textile waste, circularity, and market development. This includes providing key data, clarifying terminology, and identifying challenges and opportunities to set the foundation for future sessions.
Webinar #2: Ripping the Stitch: Business Transformation
Equip textile businesses with practical insights to transition into or maintain circular business models through real-world examples and peer learning.
Webinar #3: Hemmed in to Cutting Loose – Adopting New Innovations
Explore cutting-edge technologies that enable circular textile practices while addressing infrastructure, logistical, and economic barriers to scaling innovation.
Webinar #4: Fastening the Textile Community – Advocacy & Coalition Building
Unify and empower communities across the industry to advance textile policy and collaboration. Drive actionable steps for advocacy and ongoing community engagement in WA and beyond.
Resources
- Textile Exchange – A global nonprofit focused on textile sustainability, offering definitions and standards for fibers and materials.
- American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) – Provides research, definitions, and testing standards for textiles.
- ASTM International (formerly American Society for Testing and Materials) – Develops textile standards used globally.
- International Organization for Standardization (ISO) – Has textile-specific standards under ISO/TC 38, covering terminology, testing, and classification.
- Accelerating Circularity – City based nonprofit focused on textile-to-textile recycling through research, stakeholder collaboration, and system trials.
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) – Textiles in a circular economy: An assessment of the current landscape, challenges, and opportunities in the United States
Contact information
Mya Keyzers
Environmental Specialist
mya.keyzers@ecy.wa.gov
360-489-5652
Megan Davis
Environmental Specialist
megan.davis@ecy.wa.gov
564-233-9837