Textiles Recycling Expo USA 2026 Launches Agenda for Charlotte's Free Circularity Event
North America's first trade event dedicated solely to textile recycling is free to attend — and Goodwill, Eileen Fisher, and Lululemon are all sending speakers.
The fashion industry has spent years talking about circularity. Charlotte, North Carolina, is about to find out what it looks like in practice.
The full conference agenda for Textiles Recycling Expo USA 2026 has been released, with the two-day event scheduled for April 29 and 30 at the Charlotte Convention Center, 501 S College St. Billed as North America's first exhibition and conference focused exclusively on textile recycling, the program promises, in the organizers' own framing, to translate "circular ambition into scalable action." Attendance is free.
The agenda was built in collaboration with Accelerating Circularity, the event's Structural Partner, and is designed to target what organizers describe as the most pressing challenges and opportunities across the U.S. textile recovery and recycling landscape. Goodwill Industries International comes on board as both Impact Partner and sponsor of the Conference Theater, a pairing that signals the event's intent to bridge nonprofit infrastructure with industrial-scale innovation.
The speaker roster covers an unusually wide stretch of the value chain. Confirmed organizations include Eileen Fisher, Lululemon, Debrand, Samsara Eco, Textile Exchange, FABSCRAP, ReJu, SMART, American Circular Textiles, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the California Product Stewardship Council, and WM, among others. Fashion Takes Action, which is serving as a media partner for the event, describes the Expo as "the first dedicated entirely to textile recycling and circularity, bringing together the full value chain, from fiber-to-fiber technology innovators and advanced recyclers to global fashion brands, manufacturers, and policymakers."
The conference program runs alongside an exhibition floor featuring over 75 exhibitors showcasing advanced recycling technologies, sorting systems, machinery, material innovations, and circular service solutions. Among those exhibitors is Konica Minolta, presenting at Booth 411 with its SpecimRETEX system, which combines Specim hyperspectral imaging technology with AI algorithms to deliver real-time textile material recognition at industrial scale. The system is designed to allow recyclers, sorters, and manufacturers to automate sorting and, according to Konica Minolta's product description, unlock new revenue streams in the process. Sensoneo occupies Booth 405, bringing smart ultrasonic sensors and route-optimization software built to monitor bin fill levels in real time and maintain a reliable material supply for recycling operations.
Exhibit hall hours on both days run from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The event requires registration, though tickets carry no cost. With a speaker list that spans legacy fashion brands, policy advocates, and waste-tech companies, the Charlotte gathering may be the clearest indicator yet that textile recycling has moved from a side conversation to a dedicated industry of its own.
Know something we missed? Have a correction or additional information?
Submit a Tip
