Could you start by introducing yourself, your role at Reju, and giving us a quick overview of the session you'll be taking part in at the Textiles Recycling Expo EU? 

Diane Woods, Head of Business Development and Product for Reju, and I will be participating in a session about "The true cost of textiles: waste, responsibility, and Europe's future". 

The textile waste problem is well documented, but the scale can still be staggering. What do you think are the most underappreciated dimensions of the crisis? 

The textile waste problem is examined as a whole, and the numbers are staggering but the biggest part of that waste is post-consumer waste which makes up about 80% of the total (post-industrial is estimated to be 12-16%, and pre-consumer ~4%).  This is the key problem we need to conquer and Reju is the only chemical recycler focused solely on post-consumer feedstock.  

Reju is working at the forefront of textile-to-textile regeneration. Can you give us a sense of where the business is right now and what milestones you've hit recently? 

Reju has announced our first three regeneration hubs (in Sittard, Netherlands, Rochester, NY and Lacq, France), our technology is proven and patented, we are in product development with a number of brands and are securing relationships with our partners who form our Circular Textile System.

Extended Producer Responsibility is gaining significant traction across Europe. From your position working across business development and product, how do you see EPR reshaping the commercial landscape for textile recyclers and regenerators? 

EPR is very important to textile recyclers.  I like to think of it as “the great equalizer” because it helps everyone to play by the same rules and establishes a roadmap of how we will walk together (brands, recyclers, partners) to a future where recycling is established and at scale.  We need to treat textile waste as a strategic source of secondary raw materials; collect it separately, sort it effectively and make it available for high-quality recycling within region.   

There's often a gap between policy intent and economic reality. What legislative or economic mechanisms do you think are most likely to drive genuine change in textile waste? 

EPR and other policies are most effective when they are detailed and based in reality.  We cannot make rules to require incorporation of materials that don’t exist, but the rules do need to drive the change in an aggressive but realistic timeframe.  

Reju works across the value chain to bring regenerated fibres back into the market. How important is collaboration in making that circular loop viable at scale? 

At Reju we realize that making post-consumer textile regeneration is only possible through partnerships.  We need to build the Circular Textile System together with each piece doing its part to feed the next actor in the system.  T2T recycling can become a reality at scale if we work together.  

What's the biggest misconception you encounter when it comes to what's actually possible with textile recycling and regeneration today? 

That it is nascent.  The technology is proven, the systems are being built, and it is ready to scale.  Something needs to change to finance the build.  Either brands (many of whom are working on Spring 2028 product lines already) start to make commitments to offtake, or the financing mechanisms need to look at this differently, or EPR must harmonize and drive the change.  Once that piece falls into place we will be off and running. 

Finally, what draws you to the Textiles Recycling Expo EU specifically, and what are you most looking forward to whether from the programme, the conversations, or the people you're expecting to meet? 

Reju recently participated in the Textiles Recycling Expo in Charlotte, NC and we had a terrific show.  We met with partners throughout our Circular Textile System, learned about a variety of topics, and met many new potential partners.  We look forward to the same in Brussels.