How INNOVATION and ADAPTATION Are Reshaping the Future of Textiles

By Nina Cohen

Textiles are a critical industry, impacting people, the planet, and processes everywhere. The industry faces constant challenges and changes, ranging from rising consumer expectations to global sustainability demands. To keep up with ever-changing demand, the industry must adapt to the current needs of consumers and the capabilities of manufacturers. Needs such as supply chain efficiency, end-product performance requirements, and health and safety concerns are converging to reshape how textiles are designed, produced, and consumed. Innovation in material development plays a key role in the sector's ability to meet these evolving needs.

The New Rules of the Textile Market

Sustainability has become a defining concern for the industry. According to a 2022 report by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), although most textiles can be reused, 85% still end up in landfills or are incinerated, contributing to environmental waste. In the U.S. alone, textile waste surged by 50% between 2000 and 2018, contributing to landfills reaching capacity sooner than expected (Sajdeh et al., 2025). Both consumers and brands are becoming aware of the negative impacts of the textile industry. Brands are taking action by collaborating with their manufacturers to rethink the lifecycle of textiles, requiring products with new chemistries, and introducing more innovative finishing technologies and partnerships across all parts of the supply chain.

Consumer behavior is also a key driver in textile production. Users demand more than just style from their fabrics; they seek performance and longevity in their garments. The global performance fabric market size was estimated at approximately US$35 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach around US$57 billion by 2032 (Patel, 2025). The expected performances include antimicrobial protection, moisture-wicking, odor control, durability, and other functional features. These are known technologies that are now becoming mainstream. Consumers are interested in garments that stay fresher for longer, which ideally leads to a slower disposal rate.

Textiles also play a key role in public cleanliness. Since the pandemic, demand for protective fabrics has surged. In addition to medical-use products like hospital gowns and protective masks, consumers now also expect these key protection properties in everyday settings, like home furnishings, travel gear, and apparel.

At the same time, regulatory shifts are accelerating change globally. Many governmental agencies are redefining their scope of acceptable materials, forcing brands to change the direction of what goes into their products. There is a general shift in the apparel industry to move away from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), due to known health and environmental impacts. Manufacturers are reevaluating standard performance chemistries and exploring the implementation of new technologies into their existing application settings. Chemistry leaders in the field are developing PFASfree alternatives to previous technologies that deliver water repellency, stain resistance, and durability expected in the final product. These new alternatives meet the performance requirements without compromising safety. These efforts emphasize how sustainability today is as much about material innovation as it is about circularity.

Together, these forces create a dynamic environment that demands continuous innovation and adaptation.

Innovation in Action

As stated previously, the textile industry is grappling with growing consumer expectations for performance, cleanliness, and sustainability, while also confronting serious environmental challenges. For example, in the performance space, addressing malodors is one of the biggest design challenges faced by the sportswear industry. Continuous sweating in the garment leads to frequent washing of performance fabrics (driven by odor buildup), which uses large amounts of waste, clean water, and energy. Meanwhile, frequent washing will shorten the fabric's lifespan and contribute to microplastic pollution in our waterways.

High-performance sports apparel must withstand friction and sweat, but manufacturers must adhere to the brand's requirements to create the final product. The apparel industry is dominated by synthetic materials like polyester and nylon, due to their relatively low cost to manufacture, ability to alter shape and size, and good durability. They are quick drying, but retain microbial growth over time, resulting in lingering odors. Cotton, when untreated, is breathable, but absorbs and retains moisture, often trapping sweat and odors that can persist even after repeated washing. It is not as readily available as synthetic materials, but it comes from a renewable source and can be easily recycled. The fiber selection for a garment not only affects comfort and cleanliness but can also lead to early disposal and replacement of the garment, contributing to textile waste and landfill buildup.

One example of how companies are responding to performance and sustainability demands comes from the outdoor apparel sector. Jack Wolfskin, a leader in eco-conscious outdoor gear, sought a solution that aligned with its sustainability ethos while enhancing the performance of its products. In 2023, they partnered with Microban International to integrate Scentry Revive, an innovation from Microban that permeates fabrics during the manufacturing process to neutralize odors, into its apparel line.

This innovation helps garments stay fresher longer, with odor-neutralizing properties that last for up to 50 home laundering cycles. Certified by OEKO-TEX® and approved by bluesign®, the technology underscores a commitment to environmental safety and sustainable manufacturing, all while delivering the high- performance that today's consumers expect.

Preventing the growth of odor-causing and degrading microbes helps maintain the appearance, freshness, and integrity of textiles, ultimately extending their lifespan. This means consumers can wear their sportswear for more extended periods without needing frequent replacement, thereby reducing demand for new products and helping to minimize textile waste.

According to the 2020 “Fashion on Climate” report by McKinsey & Company and the Global Fashion Agenda, clothing care practices account for 23% of a garment’s total carbon footprint. The report highlights a significant opportunity for consumers to protect the environment through mindful habits, including using lower laundering temperatures and replacing every sixth dryer cycle with air drying, which together could reduce carbon emissions by an impressive 186 million tonnes.

This growing awareness is driving innovation across the textile industry, where functional fabric treatments are increasingly used not only to enhance performance but also to support sustainability goals. By addressing common consumer challenges, such as odor retention in synthetic fabrics, these solutions help bridge the gap between high performance, cleanliness, and environmental responsibility in textile design.

Industry collaboration highlights these types of partnerships, which demonstrate how companies can respond to mounting industry pressures and consumer demand for longer-lasting, more sustainable products. By collaborating with a company to make a small change, such as embedding odor control technology directly into a product's fabric, manufacturers can not only extend product lifespans and reduce environmental impact but also help redefine what responsible innovation looks like in performance textiles, resulting in a stronger value chain that benefits both the industry and its consumers.

Lessons From the Industry

These examples highlight an important insight: innovation in textiles doesn’t happen in isolation. Instead, it emerges at the intersection of scientific research, deep consumer insight, and effective market collaboration. Demand drives change, and all parts must step up to innovate the industry's next move.

At the core of this process lies data and validation. With hundreds of textile testing standards and methods, the industry requires rigorous proof of performance. Whether assessing antimicrobial effectiveness, odor control, or durability, independent testing and certification are essential to building trust. They ensure consistency and safety not only among manufacturers and brands, but also with the consumers who depend on these products. Transparent, verifiable data empowers brands to communicate the value of their innovations confidently and assures consumers of their real-world effectiveness.

Lifecycle thinking is driving sustainability. The focus is shifting from shortterm product benefits to long-term environmental impact. Even small enhancements, like improved odor resistance, can have a significant positive effect by extending the usable life of products. In turn, this reduces premature disposal and slows the continuous cycle of textile consumption, which remains a key driver of waste worldwide.

Beyond apparel, these functional innovations are important and are also being applied in other textile sectors like home furnishings, automotive interiors and medical textiles; each is facing unique challenges around durability and sustainability. These segments increasingly rely on advanced material technologies to meet performance and regulatory standards while supporting longer product lifespans and reduced waste.

With hundreds of textile testing standards and methods, the industry requires rigorous proof of performance. Whether assessing antimicrobial effectiveness, odor control, or durability, independent testing and certification are essential to building trust.

Collaboration amplifies the efforts above. Innovation is rarely the work of a single organization. It flourishes through partnerships, connecting raw material suppliers, technology developers, manufacturers, brands and consumers alike. Industry-wide initiatives and cross-sector collaborations accelerate the adoption of new technologies and best practices, spreading benefits more broadly and efficiently. Shared expertise and resources help overcome technical and economic barriers, making sustainable solutions more accessible across the supply chain.

Far from being a static, traditional field, the textile industry is a dynamic ecosystem where material science, consumer behavior and sustainability goals converge. Appreciating this complexity is critical to driving innovations that not only meet today’s performance needs but also tackle the environmental and social challenges of tomorrow.

Looking Ahead

The textile industry will continually invent and reinvent itself to keep pace with ongoing change. Each era brings new demands, and presently, the industry continues to adapt to the greatest challenges and creates new opportunities. The future of textiles depends on innovation that is both performance-driven and socially responsible. Companies are showing what's possible when innovation is anchored in consumer demand and research. Decision-making is validated by data and amplified through mill and brand collaboration. Research and development in the textile space sets a path toward cleaner, longer-lasting, and more sustainable products. The more the industry invests in research and embraces collaboration, the stronger its ability will be to meet global demands responsibly and effectively in the long term.

One of the most powerful lessons from the evolution of the textile industry is that knowledge drives progress. From R&D breakthroughs to data-driven consumer insights, it is information that is shared, tested, and applied, transforming how fabrics are designed and used. The more we educate both industry professionals and end-users about the potential of textiles, the greater the impact these innovations will have on everyday life.

References

Rohan Sajdeh, Catharina Martinez-Pardo, Alexander Meyer zum Felde, Tom Lange, Eleonora Tieri, and Elian Evans. “Spinning Textile Waste into Value.” Boston Consulting Group, Aug. 12, 2025. https://www.bcg.com/publications/2025/ spinning-textile-waste-into-value.

Debadatta Patel. “Performance Fabric Market Report | Global Forecast From 2025 To 2033.” Dataintelo, n.d. https://dataintelo.com/report/ performance-fabric-market.

Nina Cohen, Application Engineer II at Microban International, she partners with leading brands to implement and optimize performance antibacterial and odor control finishing treatments on textile products. Her work focuses on scaling innovative solutions from concept to mill trial size, ensuring technical excellence and commercial viability. For more information, contact Nina.Cohen@ microban.com or call (704) 766-1062.