ISAIC at the Forefront of Textile Sustainability: the 2026 Textile Recovery Summit
ISAIC’s Director of Programming, Ellie Schneider, recently spoke at the 2026 Textile Recovery Summit in San Diego, joining leaders from across the textile ecosystem to discuss the critical role of repair in advancing circularity.
As part of the conversation, ISAIC highlighted its work with Goodwill of Northern and Central Arizona—one of the largest collectors of secondhand goods in the country—to better understand how repair can divert thousands of damaged garments from landfills and create viable workforce opportunities.
Ellie shared the stage with innovators including Alternew, an AI-driven alterations platform, and Refibered, an AI-based textile recognition and sorting company. Together, the panel explored how repair can move from a niche service to a scalable, system-level solution within the circular economy.
Why the Summit Matters
Held February 23–25, 2026, and co-located for the first time with the Plastics Recycling Conference and the Resource Recycling Conference, the Summit brought together more than 3,000 professionals across sustainability, retail, recycling, and policy.
With new legislation such as California’s SB 707 increasing producer responsibility, brands are facing growing pressure—and opportunity—to invest in resale, recycling, and repair infrastructure.
The Opportunity (and Challenge) in Repair
Repair is a critical strategy for addressing textile waste. It extends garment life, diverts materials from landfills, and reduces demand for new production.
However, scaling repair remains complex. Today, most repair work is:
Highly customized and creative
Labor-intensive and expensive
Focused on garments that already hold strong personal value
This model works when customers are willing to pay to preserve a beloved item. It does not work at scale for the vast majority of garments collected by organizations like Goodwill—or for brands offering take-back repair programs at a financial loss.
To truly scale repair, the industry must rethink how the work is structured.
ISAIC’s Role in Scaling Repair
ISAIC believes workforce development is the key to unlocking repair at scale.
As a national nonprofit based in Detroit, ISAIC:
Tests new technologies in a real manufacturing environment
Develops industry-relevant training programs
Models worker-centered production systems
Consults with manufacturers and organizations nationwide
Our approach focuses on identifying critical repair job functions, defining required skill levels, and developing accessible, standardized training that allows this work to be optimized and scaled.
Through our partnership with Goodwill of Northern and Central Arizona, ISAIC is exploring what standardized, data-driven repair training could look like in practice. With SB 707 increasing urgency around textile recovery, the need to operationalize and professionalize repair has never been greater.
Scaling repair will require both technical sewing skills and technology-based competencies. Standardization, optimization, and workforce investment are essential—not only to make repair financially viable, but to create quality jobs that attract the next generation of talent.
Moving Circularity Forward
Through engagement in policy conversations, emerging technologies, and cross-sector collaboration, ISAIC continues to advance practical solutions that strengthen the textile and apparel ecosystem.
We look forward to integrating key learnings from the Summit into our programming and partnerships as we work toward a more circular and resilient future for textiles.
To learn more about ISAIC’s role in scaling repair, visit:
https://isaic.org/skilling-solutions-at-your-site