Textile buyers are entering 2026 with more material choices, more data and a clearer reason to ask better questions. Textile Exchange’s Materials Market Report 2026, published in September, shows record fibre production alongside only gradual progress in recycling and traceability. The useful takeaway for a fabric team is practical: compare performance and price, but also make the material record precise enough to support the next product page, customer request or compliance review.
What the new report says
The report estimates that global fibre production reached 139 million tonnes in 2025, up from 132 million tonnes in 2024. Polyester remained the largest fibre category at 59% of the global total, with production rising from 77.7 million tonnes to 82.5 million tonnes. Recycled polyester also increased, from about 9.4 million tonnes to 9.7 million tonnes, but 97% of that recycled polyester still came from plastic bottles.
Textile-to-textile recycling remains a small share of the market. Textile Exchange estimates that recycled fibre made from pre- and post-consumer textiles reached 0.76% of all fibre production in 2025, up from 0.61% in 2021. The direction is positive, but the scale explains why buyers should ask exactly what “recycled” means, what feedstock was used and which evidence supports the claim.
Three sourcing signals to watch
1. Material volume is growing faster than circular feedstock
More fibre is entering the market, while textile-to-textile feedstock is still limited. This does not make one fibre automatically right or wrong for every project. It does mean that a sourcing brief should match the material to the product’s actual use, expected life and end-of-life plan. A durable base that performs well and is ordered accurately can avoid waste before recycling is even considered.
2. Certified production is becoming easier to compare
The report estimates that 9.4 million tonnes of cotton came through certified programs in 2025, representing 37% of virgin cotton fibre. It also reports that two-thirds of manmade cellulosic fibre used certified or controlled feedstock, a share that remained stable year on year. These figures are not a universal scorecard for every supplier, but they show why buyers increasingly need the name of a program, the scope of a certificate and the product or batch it covers.
3. Origin data is still a gap
Textile Exchange’s separate Materials Benchmark Insights and Trends 2026 found that 79% of the raw materials reported by participating brands and retailers had an unknown country of origin. The figure applies to the reporting group, not the whole market, but it is a useful warning: a polished sustainability page cannot compensate for missing supply-chain records.
A buyer’s 2026 fabric checklist
- Composition: record the fibre name and percentage, including small stretch fibres and blends.
- Construction: keep width, weight, finish, stretch direction and usable width in the same record.
- Performance: note the intended use and any tested colourfastness, shrinkage, abrasion or care limits.
- Provenance: ask for the mill or supplier, country of origin and the level at which the information applies: fibre, yarn, fabric or finished product.
- Claims: connect recycled, certified or preferred-material language to a certificate, transaction record or supplier declaration.
- Version control: date every specification and keep a change history when a supplier, finish or blend changes.
This checklist also makes communication faster. A designer can use the same approved record to brief a print file, a product manager can use it for a listing, and a customer-service team can answer questions without rewriting the specification. It creates a clean starting point for future Digital Product Passport requests without pretending that today’s record is already a legal passport.
Match the base to the project
Start with the end use, then compare the fabric bases that can deliver it. For soft apparel and structured home goods, review the Solid Light Double Brushed Poly range and confirm the fibre, width, weight and care details you need. If you are comparing textures across several options, request the DEC Fabrics sample pack before committing to bulk yardage. The Fabric Guide can help you narrow the shortlist by stretch, drape and application.
Need a recommendation for a custom print or product? Send DEC Fabrics your intended use, target hand feel and destination market. Include the approximate quantity so the team can suggest a practical base and prepare a clear quote.
FAQs
Does more recycled polyester mean a fabric is automatically more sustainable?
No. Recycled content is one part of a material decision. Buyers should also consider the source of the feedstock, durability, care, manufacturing, use phase and end-of-life route.
Why should I ask for country-of-origin information?
Origin helps buyers understand where a material comes from and which records support its claims. It also makes future traceability requests easier to answer.
What should I do if a supplier cannot provide every data point?
Record what is verified, mark what is supplied by declaration and identify the missing fields. A transparent partial record is more useful than an unsupported sustainability statement.
Sources: Textile Exchange reports linked above. This article is educational and does not replace product testing, certification review or legal advice.