Textiles Recycling Expo USA, North America's dedicated trade show for textile recycling and the circular economy, has opened its call for speakers for its second edition, with a deadline of November 27. The event is scheduled for April 7–8, 2027, at the Charlotte Convention Center in North Carolina.

According to the organizers, this year's program plans to build on discussions of the three persistent themes—legislation, infrastructure, and technology—while extending its focus to reuse and repair, as well as the responsibility of the U.S. textile industry toward Global South countries. Accelerating Circularity, a structural partner of the expo, said it is working closely with the organizers to identify the key challenges facing the industry and ensure the agenda reflects the sector's current priorities and ongoing conversations.

The conference is seeking speaking proposals from industry professionals with relevant expertise, with particular focus on the following areas:

  • Extended producer responsibility (EPR) and the new compliance landscape;
  • Sorting technology—where the bottlenecks are and how to solve them;
  • Fiber-to-fiber recycling and end markets for recycled fibers;
  • Collection infrastructure and reverse logistics;
  • Reuse, resale, and repair as the first link in the circular chain;
  • Traceability, brand accountability, and circular business models (new for 2027);
  • Global trade flows—the burden, opportunities, and responsibilities borne by Global South countries (new for 2027).

Organizers encourage industry professionals with experience in these areas to submit proposals online through the expo's official website.

Judging from the agenda, EPR compliance, sorting bottlenecks, and outlets for recycled fibers remain the practical challenges that North America's textile recycling industry urgently needs to address, while the newly added topics of Global South responsibility and trade flows indicate that the cross-border movement of used clothing and textile waste is being brought into a broader industry discussion framework.

Source: Textile Recycling Expo USA opens call for speakers · Originally published 2026-09-08