The NSF Textile Innovation and Sustainability Engine is a collaborative effort aiming to revolutionize the textile industry and address climate change challenges. The initiative focuses on establishing a sustainable and regenerative textile circular economy, addressing low recycling rates. Collaborative partners are developing innovative solutions to recycle, repurpose, and reuse textile waste, creating in demand products. This approach contrasts with traditional practices of sourcing inputs globally and discarding waste, contributing to environmental degradation. The initiative emphasizes the circular economy, where waste becomes raw material, extending product life cycles and reducing environmental impact.

The textile sector's impact on the environment and the economy is significant, with global apparel consumption estimated at $1.8 trillion, constituting 2.3% of global GDP. The Engine's vision involves leveraging industrial expertise, restructuring supply chains, and commercializing innovations to capitalize on circular economy principles. Besides environmental benefits, the circular economy approach is seen as a means to create jobs and foster sustainable growth. The partners involved have demonstrated success in developing sustainable production systems, and the proposed Engine aims to scale these efforts, contributing to economic resilience and sustainability in North Carolina and the surrounding region's textile sector.