Textiles Recycling Expo USA 2026 Unveils Full Conference Agenda in Charlotte

Applied Market Information Ltd. has released the full conference agenda for Textiles Recycling Expo USA, the first dedicated exhibition and conference for textile recycling in North America, set for April 29–30, 2026 at the Charlotte Convention Center. Admission is free, and the two-day programme, built alongside structural partner Accelerating Circularity, covers policy and governance, collection and sorting infrastructure, and the emerging recycling technologies reshaping how the industry thinks about end-of-life fiber.

The conference runs parallel to the exhibition floor and pulls together brands, recyclers, policymakers, and innovators to work through circular business models, EPR frameworks, and breakthrough sorting and processing technologies. The agenda positions Charlotte as the place where North American textile circularity stops being a concept and starts being a supply chain conversation with actual infrastructure behind it.

The standout floor feature is Booth 600, where the NSF-funded Textile Innovation Engine will anchor its showcase. The initiative is a North Carolina-rooted coalition connecting NC State University, Material Return, the Manufacturing Solutions Center, the Gaston Fiber Innovation Center, and Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina, with the explicit aim of aligning regional innovation efforts and accelerating scalable circular textile solutions. That kind of state-level consortium getting its own dedicated showcase floor space tells you something about where AMI sees the real leverage points: not just technology, but coordinated regional infrastructure.

AMI built this U.S. event on a proof of concept that already worked. The Brussels debut in June 2025 drew 3,336 visitors from 67 countries across 126 exhibitors, making it the largest gathering ever focused on textile recycling. Twelve percent of those attendees traveled from Africa, Asia, and the Americas, which is what pushed AMI to formalize a North American edition rather than treat transatlantic interest as a one-off. The Charlotte event is the next leg of what AMI describes as a global platform to normalize textile recycling at scale.

With EPR frameworks gaining traction in the U.S. policy conversation and fast fashion's waste problem increasingly visible to consumers, the timing of a free-to-attend industry event that bridges fiber-to-fiber technology innovators with government agencies and NGOs is pointed. The full agenda, exhibitor list, and registration are available through AMI's event pages.