It’s a given. Textile conferences around the world are discussing recycling, circular economy, sustainability, forthcoming EU regulationsm and now also cross-divisional collaboration with related industries along with some innovations, trends as also challenges and opportunities in the fibre, apparel and non-wovens industry.
The 63rd Global Fibre Congress at Dornbirn in Austria from 11–13 September was no different and a recurring theme through the three days was recycling and the associated circular economy. It stressed on the urgent need for everyone in the value chain, from machine manufacturers to manufacturing and retail, to find a common denominator—the only way to provide the consumer with products which are sustainable and affordable.
Dornbirn continued a very long tradition as a global network platform for an innovative exchange in the industry with over 125 lectures across four parallel sessions. More than 500 participants from 25 countries represented about 250 companies.
A topic that emerged from the sidelines to receive considerable focus was the challenge of recycling elastane. If you think of the total product, the proportion of elastane is very low, but it belongs in the cycle. The difference in thought was that it was not talked about as waste, but as a valuable material that finds subsequent use. The technologies are still in their infancy with a long way to go, but it is important to promote projects and initiatives that take such developments forward. It was also promising to hear about biodegradability of acrylic fibres.
The conference stressed on the essential task of mobilising the retail front too to ensure that the products that bring about circularity find a place in real life. The big vision is that the products that have a circularity component become a certain commodity, overcoming the obstacles along the path, taking in the fibre manufacturer's point of view too.
When it comes to contaminants, the issue of microfibres and microplastics has been raising its head and rightly so. Decathlon put out an interesting research as it probed not just where the fibres end up but also the root cause of fibre shedding. Handwashing of garments in the Global South found mention and of course the complex jungle that the production of textiles entails till it reaches the shelf and the urgent need to identify the shedding and come up with best practices and innovations to check microfibres from reaching the water streams.
As textile pollution in its various forms, pre- and post-consumer continues to blight the planet, the industry, globally, but specifically in Europe, is undergoing a sustainability transition, with EU regulations playing a decisive role.
Regulations such as ESPR (Eco-design for Sustainable Products Regulation), Textile Labelling, EPR (extended producer responsibility) will provide the opportunity to make the industry more sustainable. All actors in the value chain are important and will be forced to implement the rules.
Cornelia Mohor from the European Commission in Brussels gave a good overview of the regulations that are coming up. Under the title ‘EU Policy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles’, she listed the important EU regulations with a tentative timeline and milestones. For example, in 2025 it is planned that the first working plan of ESPR will be adapted so that the acts on unsold goods and DPP (Digital Product Passport) can be developed further in the following year. In 2027 it is planned that the first product requirements will be applied.
Innovation in textiles is another very important topic that the EU supports. This year an almost revolutionary programme has been launched. The Partnership ‘Textiles of the future’ event which was officially announced by the European Commission in March 2024, is set to be launch by the end of this year. It aims to support the textiles sector, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in implementing a comprehensive research and innovation programme. This is the first time that the EU commission has approved a dedicated founding programme for textile research and innovation.
EURATEX and Textile ETP (European Technology Platform) are the most important actors in terms of programme implementation and professional support. ETP published the ‘Strategic Objectives Aligned with Green and Digital Transition’. As described in the ETP document, the central vision of the partnership is the development and demonstration of new technologies and innovative business models for competitive manufacturing of safe and sustainable textile products (and related services) made from low-impact functional materials and by clean and digitally connected processes in regional, circular and fully traceable supply chains for quality jobs, industrial competitiveness and responsible consumption in Europe.
As many as 25 start-ups had the opportunity to present their latest innovations, business models and new ways of cooperating across the supply chain. This also shows, among other things, how important it is to think outside the box—to have the courage to cooperate and utilise synergies from other industries. This gave the opportunity to investigate the potential and possible future of the fibre and textile industry.
