PCIAW® Champions Professional Clothing at Textiles Recycling Expo 2026
PCIAW® would like to thank the organisers of Textiles Recycling Expo 2026 for inviting the Association to participate and for recognising the importance of including the professional clothing sector in the global conversation on textile recycling and circularity.
Held on 24–25 June at Brussels Expo, the second edition of the exhibition welcomed more than 5,600 attendees, 169 exhibitors and 71 expert speakers, bringing together leading brands, manufacturers, recyclers, policymakers and sustainability organisations from across the textile value chain.
Despite record-breaking temperatures across Belgium during the event, it was encouraging to see so many PCIAW® members make the journey to Brussels to participate in this important industry gathering. Their strong turnout reflected the sector’s growing commitment to sustainability, innovation and collaboration as the professional clothing industry works towards more circular solutions.
While much of the conference programme focused on retail and fashion, PCIAW® was proud to ensure that the professional clothing industry—including workwear, corporate uniforms and personal protective equipment (PPE)—was represented. As the leading voice for the professional clothing sector, PCIAW® recognises that workwear, uniforms and PPE present unique opportunities and challenges that require dedicated circular solutions.
Professional clothing differs significantly from fashion garments. Workwear, corporate uniforms and personal protective equipment are designed to meet demanding performance, durability and safety standards, often remaining in service for many years before reaching end of life. Developing effective systems for repair, reuse, remanufacture and fibre-to-fibre recycling therefore requires collaboration across manufacturers, distributors, service providers, wearers, recyclers and policymakers.
The PCIAW® panel was chaired by Yvette Ashby, Founder and CEO of PCIAW®, who told the audience:
“Professional clothing differs significantly from fashion garments. Workwear, corporate uniforms and personal protective equipment are designed to meet demanding performance, durability and safety standards, often remaining in service for many years before reaching end of life. If we are serious about building a truly circular textile industry, we must recognise that professional clothing requires its own dedicated circular solutions. Effective repair, reuse, remanufacture and fibre-to-fibre recycling can only be achieved through collaboration across manufacturers, distributors, service providers, wearers, recyclers and policymakers.”
Through its panel discussion and conversations throughout the exhibition, PCIAW® highlighted the importance of ensuring that professional clothing is fully integrated into future circular economy strategies. The Association emphasised that a truly circular textile industry cannot be achieved if workwear, uniforms and PPE are overlooked.
PCIAW® was also proud to be part of the Industry Alliance Hub, alongside EURATEX, UKFT, ReHubs, Accelerating Circularity, Fedustria and Denim Deal. The Hub demonstrated the strength of collaboration across Europe’s textile industry, bringing together organisations committed to driving innovation, sustainability and circular business models.
As the only organisation within the Industry Alliance Hub dedicated exclusively to the professional clothing industry, PCIAW® brought a unique and important perspective to the event. Representing manufacturers, distributors, service providers and supply chain partners, PCIAW® ensured that the sector’s voice was heard as legislation, recycling technologies and circular business models continue to evolve.
PCIAW® would also like to extend its sincere thanks to our outstanding panel of speakers for helping to bring the professional clothing sector to the forefront of the circularity discussion.
Special thanks go to Natalie Wilson, Managing Director of Workwear Solutions International, Camilla Skjønning Jørgensen, CEO-designate of CLIMATEX, Cherie Nelson, Consultant Head of Circularity at KIPAŞ Textiles, and Toomas Allikas, Founder and CEO of Greenful Group, whose expertise and practical insights generated an engaging and thought-provoking discussion on the future of circularity within the workwear, uniform and PPE sectors.
Professional clothing represents millions of garments worn every day across healthcare, emergency services, manufacturing, construction, transport, logistics, hospitality and countless other sectors. Yet it is often underrepresented in wider sustainability discussions. If Europe is to build a genuinely circular textile economy, professional clothing must be recognised as a key part of the solution—not an afterthought.
PCIAW® welcomes the growing recognition that collaboration across every part of the textile value chain is essential. Events such as Textiles Recycling Expo provide an invaluable platform for sharing knowledge, developing partnerships and ensuring that every sector of the industry has a voice.
PCIAW® would like to thank the Textiles Recycling Expo team for delivering another outstanding event and for recognising the importance of the professional clothing sector. We also thank our members, partners and panel speakers for their continued support and commitment to advancing sustainability and circularity across our industry.
PCIAW® looks forward to continuing to work with its Industry Alliance Hub partners, policymakers and the wider textile community to help shape practical, scalable circular solutions for professional clothing, and we look forward to returning to Brussels for Textiles Recycling Expo 2027.
