The global fashion and outdoor industry has just witnessed a major paradigm shift in how products are manufactured and consumed. Amidst growing international scrutiny over mounting textile waste, Canadian outdoor powerhouse Arc’teryx has officially partnered with the legendary Swiss textile testing institute, Testex AG, to launch one of the most rigorous circularity certifications in the industry to date. This move, announced in February 2026, is far from a standard green marketing ploy; it is a systematic effort to redefine sustainable apparel through the "Testex Circularity" label.
The global obsession with "fashion dupes"—cheap imitations of luxury designs—has taken a dangerous turn from a budget-friendly trend to a public health crisis. A chilling new report released by the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) reveals that counterfeit products are not just stealing intellectual property; they are actively poisoning consumers. Steve Lamar, CEO of the AAFA, warned on Wednesday that "American consumers are unknowingly bringing dangerous products into their homes," shifting the conversation from brand protection to a matter of life and safety.
The European Union’s ambitious leap toward a circular economy is facing a significant technical roadblock that could undermine its green transition. A new policy brief from the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), a prominent Brussels-based think tank, warns that the upcoming Digital Product Passport (DPP) will struggle to enable large-scale textile-to-textile recycling unless policymakers urgently address deep-seated data gaps and the low level of digitalization across the industry’s value chain.
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