October 10, 2026
A new textile industry report has brought raw material traceability back into focus.
Textile Exchange released its Materials Benchmark Insights and Trends 2026 on September 22. The report presents data from 384 participating brands and retailers.
The findings show progress in responsible material sourcing. They also reveal a continuing lack of information about where many textile raw materials come from.
For beanie brands, the report sends a clear message: material claims increasingly need reliable supply-chain information.
According to Textile Exchange, 79% of the raw materials reported by participating companies had an unknown country of origin in 2025.
This is one of the most important findings in the report.
A brand may know that a beanie contains wool, acrylic or recycled polyester. However, it may not always know where the original fibre came from or how it moved through the supply chain.
The industry is therefore moving beyond basic fibre-content information. Buyers increasingly want supporting records from yarn suppliers, manufacturers and certification bodies.
The report also shows progress.
Among participating companies, the share of selected fibres sourced through sustainability programs increased from 68% in 2024 to 72% in 2025.
The fibres covered by this figure include:
The result suggests that more brands are using recognised sourcing programs when purchasing important textile materials.
However, Textile Exchange notes that participating companies generally perform better than the textile industry as a whole. The report should not be treated as a measurement of every brand or supplier in the global market.
Wool is an important material for premium and outdoor beanies.
The report states that 88% of participating companies using animal fibres now have an animal welfare policy.
This may influence how brands select wool and merino wool yarns. Buyers may request more information about:
A certificate alone may not answer every question. Brands may also need documents that connect the certified material with the yarn, production order and finished product.
Recycled materials continue to attract attention, but textile-to-textile recycling remains at an early stage.
The report found that only 2% of the selected raw materials used by participating companies came from pre-consumer or post-consumer textile feedstocks. This percentage remained unchanged between 2024 and 2025.
This distinction is important for recycled beanies.
For example, recycled polyester may come from plastic bottles rather than discarded garments. Brands should avoid describing all recycled yarns as textile-to-textile recycled materials.
The exact source and content should be confirmed before environmental claims are published.
Beanie development may require more material information in the future.
Before approving a yarn, brands can ask suppliers to confirm:
Brands do not need to collect every possible document for every product. The required information will depend on the material, market, certification claim and company policy.
However, documentation should be discussed early. It can be difficult to rebuild a complete material record after sampling or production has finished.
Starting in 2027, annual raw-material reporting will become mandatory for brand and retailer members of Textile Exchange’s Action Cohort. This does not apply to every textile business. Still, it reflects a broader movement toward more structured material data.
The 2026 Materials Benchmark shows that responsible sourcing is progressing. It also shows that traceability remains unfinished work.
For beanie brands, knowing the fibre content is no longer always enough. Knowing where the material came from—and being able to support that information—is becoming increasingly important. Textile Exchange
Textile material traceability is the ability to follow a material through different stages of the supply chain. This may include the fibre source, yarn supplier, manufacturer and finished product.
Not always. The answer depends on the certification, its scope and the available transaction records. A certificate should be checked against the actual material and supply chain.
It can help brands verify fibre origin, animal welfare information and material claims. It may also support internal sourcing policies and customer requirements.
No. Recycled polyester can come from plastic bottles, production waste or discarded textiles. Brands should confirm the feedstock before making specific recycling claims.
No. It covers 384 participating brands and retailers. Textile Exchange states that these companies generally perform better in sustainability than the wider industry.
Official source: Textile Exchange – Materials Benchmark Insights and Trends 2026
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