This statement was shared with the board of the Colorado Circular Communities Enterprise Board on January 12th, 2026.

My name is Baily Rose, and I am the Chair of the Board of Directors for Mountains & Plains Fibershed. I have my Master's in Sustainable Fashion, and I have been studying and practicing sustainable fashion and textiles for 21 years as an adult - not counting my time in 4-H knitting and crocheting clubs as a youth here in Eagle County where I was born and raised, and currently reside. You could say I am a Subject Matter Expert on sustainable and circular textiles. 

I met with Cam, and she pointed me towards watching the “Textile Conundrum” roadmap. 

I was disappointed to see that this roadmap was focusing on synthetic textiles, which are not truly circular. Truly circular textiles means divesting from synthetic textiles completely. Synthetic textiles are not able to degrade safely into soil (look at issues like microplastic shedding), they are toxic to the garment worker, toxic to the wearer, and toxic to the environment. 

I am requesting that the Department fund textile circularity that is truly circular: which is soil to soil circularity - a fibershed principle. Truly circular textiles come from the soil, and are able to biodegrade safely at the end of their lifecycle. 

Fibershed has even come up with regenerative programs like Climate Beneficial™ Fiber that literally sequesters carbon in the soil - something that synthetics will never be able to do. This means natural fibers only like cotton, linen, hemp and wool need to be invested in. 

“Colorado is a top wool producer in the United States with over 2 million pounds”, but the fiber is massively devalued because of bad competition like cheap synthetics. I am requesting that we focus on re-valuing truly circular fibers, and invest in soil to soil based circular textiles like wool, which would actually benefit Colorado’s regional and rural economies that are struggling. 

My second request is that we do not look for projects that can scale textile production. For true circularity in textiles, we need the opposite. The most concerning thing to me from viewing “The Textile Conundrum” was that this group was "looking for projects to scale." When we are trying to combat textile waste, it is estimated that the industry produces 150-80 billion garments a year. We do not need to scale textile manufacturing, we need to divest from synthetics in textiles, and invest in regional fiber systems like fibersheds, including ours, that have been working towards truly circular textiles on a regional level for decades now. We focus on local  cal labor, and local dyes - all sustainable for the earth and economy. 

In summary, I am requesting that circular textiles funding in Colorado focus on:

• Truly circular textiles, which is soil to soil, natural fibers. Specifically wool in Colorado.

• Mending , upcycling, and repairing that extends the length of textiles and garments

• A focus on projects that do the opposite of scaling textiles in terms of volume or production. There is too much cheap textile waste that is undervalued. Valued, invested in textiles and clothing are less likely to be overproduced and undervalued, resulting in less textile waste. 

  • A focus on producing less textiles and clothing, that are highly valuable and fit into the soil to soil circular design.

• Focus on scaling thriving wage jobs for garment workers and agricultural workers who are dealing with a devaluation of their labor because of off shoring and a devaluation of wool because synthetic fibers are so much cheaper. 

Thank you, 

Baily Rose

Resources/References:

Release of microplastic fibers from synthetic textiles during household washing - ScienceDirect

(microplastic shedding link)

Soil to Soil

(Soil to Soil concepts explained thoroughly)

Circular Fibersheds - Regenerative Agriculture

(More concise explanation: “The fourth regenerative agriculture sub-pillar, circular fibersheds, replaces fossil-fuel-based fabrics with textiles grown through regenerative farming and ensures clothing is reused or recycled after use. Based on a “soil to soil” cycle, natural fibers return to the earth, regenerating carbon stocks, supporting biodiversity, and reducing pollution. Circular fibersheds mitigate climate change by using regenerative fibers that sequester carbon and cut reliance on synthetics. Scaling requires systems for regenerative textile crops, incentives for recycling and sustainable fashion, and consumer education to drive demand for biodegradable fabrics.”)

Climate Beneficial™ Fiber - Fibershed

(Climate Beneficial™ Fiber)

https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/downloads/td96kb22f

(“An Initial Evaluation of Wool and Water in Colorado”)

Sustainable Apparel Materials

(“In 2010, the global apparel industry produced more than 150 billion garments, enough to provide more than twenty new articles of clothing to every person on the planet.”

This number is from 16 years ago, that is why it is estimated at 180 billion now.)

Fibershed

(The first Fibershed, we now have affiliates all over the world, including ours in Colorado.)

Fibershed, the book

(The literal book written by Rebecca Burgess, the founder.)

Colorado's Mountains and Plains Fibershed

(Our regional fibershed affiliate in Colorado that I help organize.)

The Hidden Story of Plastics in Our Clothes

Spinning Greenwash: How the fashion industry’s shift to recycled polyester is worsening microplastic pollution • Changing Markets