Your talk at AMI’s Textiles Recycling Expo USA explores the U.S. as a sourcing base for clothing made with recycled cotton, examining what brands are actually producing and how these products compare to conventional apparel in the marketplace. Where do you see the biggest opportunity for growth in the U.S. recycled cotton apparel market right now? 

With cotton apparel making up nearly half of U.S. apparel imports and supported by a relatively advanced used clothing collection and sorting infrastructure, the U.S. has significant advantages in producing clothing from recycled cotton. Using recycled cotton also aligns with the public perception that clothing “Made in the USA” is more sustainable and environmentally friendly than imports from many developing countries.  

One of the biggest growth opportunities in the U.S. recycled cotton apparel market is expanding the product beyond its current “niche” status as a basic commodity. Currently, "Made in the USA" recycled cotton clothing is mainly found in the mass market and simple categories like T-shirts and jeans, largely due to the fiber's physical limitations. 

Therefore, technological advancements in the quality of recycled cotton fiber are essential for increasing its competitiveness relative to other “preferred sustainable fibers,” boosting its perceived market value, and enabling its use across a wider range of clothing categories beyond T-shirts and jeans. 

When you look at companies that are actually producing with recycled cotton, what design and quality challenges come up? How does that compare to what they're making with conventional fibers? 

My study shows that using recycled cotton appears to affect clothing’s design patterns. For example, from 2022 to 2024, nearly 85% of “Made in the USA” clothing containing recycled cotton chose plain design patterns compared to only 65% of those exclusively using regular cotton. These results echo findings from previous studies, suggesting that the shorter fiber length and lower quality of recycled cotton may limit the use of more intricate and complex design details.  

Meanwhile, within those “non-plain” styles, “Made in the USA” clothing using recycled cotton predominantly featured graphics (80%), largely due to the high concentration of T-shirts in the product portfolio. In contrast, “Made in the USA” clothing that exclusively used regular cotton displayed more diverse patterns, such as checks, florals, and abstracts, showing the versatility of cotton in meeting diverse design needs.  

What's the relationship between sustainability credentials and price in today's market? Are consumers willing to pay a premium for domestically-made, recycled options? 

One finding of my study is that “Made in the USA” clothing containing recycled cotton is not always “cheap” for U.S. consumers. For instance, for those targeting the mass market segment, between 2022 and 2024, adding recycled cotton increased the selling price of “Made in the USA” clothing by more than 10% compared to items made with virgin cotton, with jeans being the only exception (i.e., 12% lower).  

Price data also show that "Made in the USA" recycled cotton items generally have higher price tags than comparable non-U.S.-made items, particularly in popular categories like T-shirts and bottoms. This trend suggests that higher U.S. domestic production costs, particularly the higher wage level than in Asian countries, could contribute to these elevated prices. 

Additionally, as mentioned earlier and echoed by other studies, it remains challenging to convince consumers of the value of clothing made from recycled textiles, despite the higher production costs of such products. Educating consumers on recycled cotton’s environmental benefits is essential to make the fiber a more visible part of the U.S. apparel market. For "Made in the USA," clothing containing recycled cotton, providing detailed, science-backed information and data on water and energy savings, carbon emission reductions, and textile waste management, could be especially well-received by U.S. consumers and add credibility to the sustainability claims of such products.  

How is recycled cotton positioning itself against other sustainable fiber alternatives? What's its unique value in an increasingly crowded field? 

That’s a great question. As clothing made from regular cotton increasingly emphasizes its sustainability benefits as a natural fiber, it somehow diminishes the exclusivity of recycled cotton as a sustainable option. For example, my study shows that there is no clear evidence indicating that consumers generally perceive clothing using “recycled cotton” as more or less sustainable than those using “organic cotton” or cotton certified by reputable programs such as the “Better Cotton Initiative, BCI” and the “U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol.” In other words, “recycled cotton” faces intense competition as the preferred sustainable fiber among many choices available to fashion companies, including regular cotton.   

Based on the study, recycled cotton is establishing itself as a solution to the textile waste problem—a clear value proposition that distinguishes it from other sustainable fibers. Unlike other recycled fibers like polyester, recycled cotton is more likely to directly tackle post-consumer waste by diverting used textiles from landfills. This circular economy perspective gives recycled cotton a unique story: it is not just about producing "better" virgin fiber but about reusing existing materials to close the loop.  

Alongside your talk, you’re also on a panel about increasing textile recycling rates. From your vantage point, what's the single most important lever, whether legislative or economic, that could transform the viability of large scale textiles recycling 

The most important lever is to make a stronger, more convincing business case for textile recycling. In my recent conversations with stakeholders across the textile recycling supply chain, many emphasized that large-scale recycling will not be viable unless fashion brands and retailers make long-term commitments to sourcing products made with recycled textiles and are willing to share the higher production costs. 

At the same time, there are regulatory and operational challenges that add uncertainty. Companies are concerned about meeting increasingly stringent supply chain traceability requirements for products made with recycled textile materials. There is also ambiguity in some existing trade agreements regarding how rules of origin should be applied to products containing recycled textiles. 

If you had to pick one area where the textile recycling sector needs the most attention -collection infrastructure, sorting technology, fiber quality, or consumer education - where would that be? 

I will choose consumer education. Apparel is fundamentally a buyer-driven industry, meaning consumer demand directly shapes what fashion companies bring to market and decide to make. As an educator myself, I also see the clear return on investment in education. For example, when our students are exposed to sustainability topics, become more aware of the growing textile waste problem, and better understand the benefits of recycled textile materials, they often show stronger interest in purchasing such products. Consumers’ growing interest in sustainable apparel is therefore a critical factor behind fashion companies’ increasing commitment to using preferred or recycled fibers in their products.  

At the same time, education also plays a key role in highlighting the growing career opportunities in textile recycling, from sustainable product design and recycling technology development to policy and legal expertise. I am especially encouraged to see that some of our students have recently joined organizations such as Rebrand and Goodwill and have shown a strong interest in pursuing careers related to textile recycling and the circular economy. 

How do you see domestic recycled fiber sourcing and processing infrastructure evolving? Is the U.S. positioned to become a more significant player in this space? 

Because of the distinct supply chain composition and requirements, I see the U.S. has the potential to leverage textile recycling to strengthen textile and apparel “Made in the USA.” For example, in a recent study, I analyzed the country of origin of clothing sold in the US market that claimed to use recycled textile materials. Interestingly, China was not the top supplier; instead, more products were found to be made in the US as well as from South and Central America. However, “Made in the USA” apparel containing recycled textile materials was mostly limited to basic items like socks. This pattern somewhat mirrors the production and sourcing trends for regular new clothing, where “Made in the USA” apparel also lacks product variety and focuses on basic fashion items compared with Asian and EU suppliers. 

 Therefore, strengthening the U.S. domestic apparel production capacity, especially for more complex categories (e.g., outerwear and suits), could encourage increased sourcing of “Made in the USA” apparel with recycled textile materials and support manufacturing and job growth in the U.S. apparel sector. 

For someone in your position, bridging academic research and industry action, what's the value of attending and speaking at event like Textiles Recycling Expo USA? 

I am excited and grateful for the opportunity to attend and speak at the upcoming Textile Recycling Expo. Since my research focuses on textile and apparel trade, sourcing, supply chains, and related sustainability issues, I always value opportunities to engage with industry partners and learn from their real-world insights. These interactions greatly benefit both my research and my teaching. 

In addition to sharing my research findings and receiving valuable feedback, I also look forward to hearing from other experts, exchanging ideas, and identifying new research questions that are directly relevant to industry needs. Events like the expo play an important role in strengthening the connection between academia and industry and help promote progress toward a more sustainable and circular textile and apparel industry.