The outdoor and textile industry has no shortage of solutions to its toxic chemistry problem. So what is actually standing in the way? Amy Tsang, Head of Europe at The Mills Fabrica, has a clear answer.
The fashion and textile industry is at a critical inflection point. The risks associated with toxic chemistries are now widely documented – from environmental persistence to serious human health concerns. Regulation is tightening, consumer awareness is growing, and brands are under increasing pressure to act.
And yet, progress remains slower than it needs to be.
The challenge is no longer a lack of solutions
From their position at The Mills Fabrica, working at the intersection of innovation, industry and investment, one thing is clear: the challenge is no longer a lack of solutions. It is a lack of adoption.
Over the past few years, a surge of startups has developed credible, scalable alternatives to toxic materials and processes. From next-generation coatings to bio-based polymers, the technical innovation exists. The question is how quickly and effectively these solutions can move into mainstream use.
This is where the gap lies.
Why brands are slow to adopt safer materials
Brands are navigating complex supply chains, performance expectations and commercial pressures. Moving away from established chemistries is not just a technical decision – it is an economic one. In many cases, safer alternatives still come at a cost premium, while the long-term environmental and health costs of toxic materials remain externalized.
This creates an uneven playing field.
Without the right incentives, brands are often asked to take on higher costs and higher risk in order to do the right thing. Regulation plays an important role in setting minimum standards, but it is not sufficient on its own. To accelerate change, a system is needed that actively rewards better choices – whether through tax incentives, subsidies or procurement policies that prioritize safer materials.
What startups developing safer alternatives need to get right
At the same time, startups face a different but equally important challenge. Even the most promising technologies can struggle to gain traction if they are difficult to implement, require significant changes to infrastructure or fail to align with existing manufacturing processes.
Bridging this gap requires movement from both sides.
Brands need to move beyond incremental change and actively invest in new technologies. This means piloting emerging solutions, building long-term partnerships with innovators and recognizing that waiting for perfect alternatives will only delay progress.
But equally, startups must design for adoption from the outset.
The most successful innovations are not only technically advanced – they are also commercially and operationally viable. They are designed to integrate seamlessly into existing supply chains, reducing friction and lowering the cost of transition. This was a defining characteristic of many of the innovators presented in Performance Without Toxicity, where solutions were not only rethinking materials, but rethinking how easily they could be adopted at scale.
Closing the gap between innovation and adoption
What is needed now is a shift at both the system and industry level. Policy must help create a level playing field, where safer, lower-impact materials are not the more expensive or higher-risk choice. At the same time, industry must move faster to adopt the solutions that already exist, working collaboratively across the value chain.
The industry has the knowledge. It has the emerging technologies. What remains is the collective effort to close the gap between innovation and adoption.
About The Mills Fabrica
The Mills Fabrica works as a connector across the fashion and textile innovation ecosystem. It works with startups developing next-generation materials and with brands looking to integrate these solutions into their products and supply chains. Through platforms such as Performance Without Toxicity, it aims to make these innovations visible, tangible and easier to engage with – serving as a conduit between discovery and adoption.
