Textile Exchange said that following a successful International Working Group (IWG) vote it plans to launch the approved criteria for its new standard on 12 December 2025.  

In line with Textile Exchange’s status as an ISEAL Code Compliant member, the principles and criteria for the new Materials Matter Standard were submitted to and approved by the IWG, which is an independent decision-making body.

Textile Exchange explained this body represents a cross section of the textile manufacturing industry, including brands, raw material producers, and civil society organisations.  

The new Materials Matter Standard will be a voluntary sustainability standard for the production and initial processing of raw materials.

Textile Exchange said it will establish what best practice looks like for different materials in various settings, from farms to recycling facilities.

Plus, this new standard will mark an important step in the evolution of its current suite of standards to incentivise a system in which the materials in clothing and textiles support the climate, respect human rights and animal welfare, and drive beneficial outcomes for soil health, water, and biodiversity.  

When the standard becomes effective in 2026, organisations certified with Textile Exchange’s existing standards can request audits by approved certification bodies.

The mandatory date is expected to be in 2027, and organisations must complete their next audit to the new standard to maintain their certification from that date onwards.

Textile Exchange said it will openly communicate exact effective and mandatory dates on 12 December alongside the publication of the standard criteria. 

The new criteria will outline the requirements that raw material producers must fulfill to achieve their certification. The accompanying Materials Matter Claims and Labeling Policy will set out how organisations, including producers, can make claims and label products as Materials Matter certified. 

The practices defined within the criteria are said to be grounded in decades of work within Textile Exchange’s current standards and align with its sharpened focus. They reflect its new organisational mission, which is to transform how it produces, chooses, and reuses materials to benefit the people and places at the source. 

Textile Exchange will continue to operate its current standards until the completion of the transition period.

It is taking a phased, hands-on approach to support both brands and suppliers through the transition to the Materials Matter System and targeted consultations on other supporting policies will follow ahead of the effective date.