Textile Exchange Publishes Its 2025 Annual Report: Certified Sites Exceed 100,000

According to Textile Exchange’s 2025 Annual Report, the number of sites certified to the organisation’s standards has exceeded 100,000 worldwide, more than three times the figure recorded in 2020. Preliminary figures indicate 12% year-on-year growth across the Global Recycled Standard (GRS), the Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) and the Responsible Animal Fiber standards.

In 2025, the organisation renewed its strategy, its standards and its membership structure. Membership now consists of two groups: organisations contributing through knowledge-sharing sit in the Community Cohort, while brands, retailers and producers following a structured pathway for reporting and target-setting sit in the Action Cohort. Participation in the Materials Benchmark programme also reached its highest level to date in 2025.

The report shows that the gap between the industry’s 2030 climate target and its current position is widening. Emissions from raw material production are 20% higher than the organisation’s 2019 baseline. Emissions associated with material production for apparel, home textiles and footwear rose by approximately 6% from 2023 to 2024. Global fibre production reached a record 132 million tonnes in 2024. By contrast, among brands reporting comparable data to the Materials Benchmark, the use of virgin fossil-based polyester fell from 637,388 tonnes in 2023 to 560,029 tonnes in 2024, down approximately 12%.

The organisation defines the next five-year period as one focused on implementation, verification and accountability. In the report, CEO Claire Bergkamp states that the organisation is shifting from building the system to using it, with a stronger focus on connecting demand with production on the ground. The full report is available on the Textile Exchange website.