EDITORIAL
Dear Readers,
As usual, we’re tracking top stories in the T&C and related industries, including a focus on AI. But what do YOU want from this newsletter? Feel free to respond to this email to let us know any themes you wish us to report on, or to contribute interesting news, projects and reflections.
Have a great holiday season, we’ll be back early 2026.
Best regards,
Your editorial team Frédérique, Alexandra and JR.
PROJECTS
MATERIALS-BASED DESIGN
HEREWEAR HUB
At Avantex, Laetitia Forst from UAL introduced three tools to help designers and entrepreneurs enhance their understanding of material solutions and their impact on creative and circular design. These tools—the material wheel, garment scenario, and Bio-Ten strategies—are specifically designed to support bio-based, local, and circular production. See her talk and discover the resources on the TCBL website.
REDUCE AND REPAIR
SOLSTICE
TCBL’s Alexandra Korey attended a meeting of the SOLSTICE project in Prato, the city that produces 3% of Europe’s textiles. Following research recommendations by Circle Economy, the city has launched a communication campaign developed by local agency flod, a TCBL Association member, to raise awareness about clothing repair options and other sustainable T&C services in the city. The campaign encourages citizens to use an app, Green Apes, that gamifies the experience and provides attractive rewards. You can read the report on Prato and other pilot cities from Solstice here
RECYCLE
REFASHION
Refashion, TCBL's strategic partner in France, works to manage and prevent textile waste. At their 2025 conference, they highlighted eco-contribution, second-hand goods, and recycled materials in new products. TCBL noted that eco-contribution funds should support collective investment in industry relocation, with allocation rules reflecting (M)SMEs and SCEs' needs. Various second-hand models have proven profitable at scale, especially mixed craft-industrial approaches, though these require long-term refinement. Improved component identification could enhance textile waste management and create synergies with industries like health prosthetics through open-loop systems. See all the talks (in French) here
Are you a member of the TCBL Association yet? Members share knowledge and experience, network and develop new projects through services available to all paid, accredited members.
INSPIRATIONS (or not)
Cost per wear. Could labelling clothes with their Cost per wear, calculated by dividing the price by how long the item is likely to last, help fight fast fashion? A new study says yes - but can you imagine retailers agreeing to this? Read the news from the University of Bath
Should we consider EPR? (Extended Producer Responsibility) or CPR (Civic Producer Responsibility)? True societal responsibility for producers begins at the initial stages—through thoughtful design and material choices that ensure garments can be safely recycled at the end of their life cycle. For further insight on plastic polymer recycling, read this op-ed
In India, recycling centers like Panipat (53 miles from Delhi) are linked to health damage. Panipat, a major textile recycling hub with over 200,000 workers, exposes people to long hours, dust, untreated wastewater, and fibers, resulting in suffocation, lung disease, skin rashes, stomach problems, and crop damage. Read the story in detail in Atmos
AI for the people. Ten US-based NGOs, including the Doris Duke, Ford, MacArthur, Mellon, Mozilla, and Omidyar Foundations, have created a $500 million fund to protect data privacy rights and assess AI's impact on the workforce. Read more in Fast Company
Projects photos and TCBL Member News photos © TCBL Association
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