Legislators in Europe view extended producer responsibility (EPR) programmes as a major lever for closing the gap between the supply of, and demand for, textile waste. At the inaugural edition of the Textiles Recycling Expo in June 2025, however, a newly formed alliance of textiles recyclers outlined its arguments for taking bolder steps. Adrian Wilson reports.

An innovation centre dedicated to the development and promotion of dry-powder impregnation processes for adding functionality to textiles was opened in Lexington, North Carolina, USA, in February 2025, and has already generated significant interest from US manufacturers. The centre has been established by the developer of the processes, Fibroline, and manufacturer of finishing machinery, Navis TubeTex. John McCurry spoke to the key people involved to find out more.

The use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of synthetic, fluorine-based chemicals called fluorocarbons when discovered in the 1930s, went largely unregulated until the early 2000s, but that is no longer the case. Increasingly stringent regulation on the use of PFAS is driving a proliferation in development of PFAS-free alternatives. Here, we look at these alternatives in detail.

An entirely new set of political priorities in the USA, and the effects they will have on current and future markets for nonwovens, are likely to generate lively discussions at INDA’s upcoming IDEA and FiltXPO exhibitions and conferences in Miami Beach, Florida, USA, on 29 April–1 May 2025. Here, Adrian Wilson looks at one promising future market for nonwovens, direct air-capture.

Shawmut Corp has been in continuous operation for more than one hundred years and is now the largest independent laminator of technical fabrics in the USA. John McCurry met with the company’s senior management to discuss the challenges and opportunities of supplying the automotive market, its approach to innovation and its plans for the future.