On September 16, 2025, we launched a textile transformation. At the Fiber Forum, hosted by the Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub, over 100 of the region’s most passionate textile innovators gathered to stitch together a future rooted in creativity, sustainability, and bold collaboration.

As part of our Nothing New Here initiative, this immersive event sparked dialogue across the entire textile lifecycle—from raw materials and small-batch manufacturing to recirculation, upcycling, and education. Experts shared insights, challenges, and dreams, while attendees explored how to turn waste into wonder.

Highlights included:

• A dazzling trashion show featuring garments crafted from post-consumer materials.

• Art exhibits that reimagined discarded textiles as powerful statements of beauty and resilience.

• Panel discussions with deep conversations about how we can support each other to build a more circular and ethical textile economy.

Why it matters: The U.S. generates over 17 million pounds of textile waste annually. Less than 15% is recycled. The rest? Burned or buried. And fast fashion is just the tip of the iceberg—think bedding, curtains, carpets, even furniture. Every thread we consume carries an environmental and human cost: toxic chemicals, water pollution, carbon emissions, and exploitative labor.

But here’s the good news: change is possible when we work together. The Fiber Forum wasn’t just an event—it was a launchpad. A place where old ideas were reborn, and new ones took flight.

This is just the beginning. The Nothing New Here program is rolling forward with more events, more collaboration, and more ways to rethink how we consume. Stay tuned—and stay inspired.

Contact us for more information!