AGENDA:

10:00 Opening announcement

Moderator: George Kellie, Director, Kellie Solutions and Stephen Harrods, Consultant, Paper & Board, Packaging, Smithers 

SESSION: MARKET TRENDS, NEW DEVELOPMENTS AND CONSUMER INSIGHTS IN THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY

10:10 Increasing circularity in the textiles sector: reuse and recycling systems as must-have solutions

• Improving circularity in the textiles sector will significantly reduce the negative impacts of the textile industry, by extending the lifecycles of textile products and increasing the use of recycled fibres
• However, textile recycling remains limited. The textiles reuse, and recycling sector in Europe faces rising costs, dropping sales, and a lack of business models for recycling
• Policy action is needed to create a genuine internal market for textile reuse and recycling in Europe, introduce ecodesign requirements for textiles that push for the incorporation of recycled content into new garment, and introduce EPR schemes for textiles that clearly support the reuse and recycling sector

Philippe Doliger, Policy Advisor, European Recycling Industries' Confederation (EuRIC)

10:30 KEYNOTE: Latest changes in EU waste legislation and what it means for the textile industry

Vincenzo Gente, Policy Officer, European Commission

10:50 Current situation in the used clothing/textile industry

• Perception and truth - where they differ and the implications of this
• Policy - what is needed now and in the future to deliver a circular textiles economy?

Alan Wheeler, CEO, Textile Recycling Association

11:10 KEYNOTE: Digital product passports - building the house before the roof

Jamie Beck, Vice President Sustainability and Compliance, Fabacus

11:30 Textile EPR implementation in the EU

Michelle Carvell, Director and COO, Lorax EPI

11:50 How can the paper market inspire the textile market?

• Using the forest raw material and how we make different products out of it
• Our journey in the textile market that started in 2011
• Latest textile product is the OnceMore pulp, a pulp based on recycled textiles that have taken Södra to the fashion runways

Johannes Bogren, Vice President Södra Bioproducts, Södra

12:10 Consumer insights on forest fibres in fashion: expectations, gaps, and opportunities

• Consumer demand for sustainable sourcing: explore the concerns and expectations consumers have for fashion brands regarding the use of sustainable mmcf (man-made cellulosic fibers) materials in fashion.
• Gaps in brand communication: identify significant gaps between consumer expectations and the current efforts of fashion brands in communicating their use of sustainable cellulose fibers.
• Opportunities for brands: highlight actionable opportunities for brands to enhance transparency, adopt sustainable sourcing practices, and build trust with consumers through verified sustainability claims.
• Practical and available solutions: discuss practical steps and strategies that companies can take from the available and scalable solutions to meet consumer demand for sustainable fashion.

Julia Kozlik, Market Engagement Manager and Global Textile Lead, PEFC International

12:20 Networking break

12:40 New targets in textiles: circularity, responsible sourcing, and carbon reduction

• The evolving role of circularity in textile sustainability.
• The importance of responsible sourcing and its positive impact on communities.
• Strategies for reducing carbon emissions in alignment with SBTi targets.
• Navigating new due diligence requirements for sustainable supply chains.

Iqra A. Inam, Head of Sustainability, Sapphire Textile Mills

SESSION: INNOVATIONS IN CELLULOSE FIBRES

13:00 Plastics free textiles/single use nonwoven products & relevance of cellulosic fibres

• Why plastic free textiles and single use nonwoven products
• Growing concern and regulations on plastics in fashion textiles & single use products
• Cellulosic fibres - why they are part of the solution
• Improvements & innovations in cellulosic fibres

Rahul Bansal, Vice President & Head, Nonwovens Business, Birla Cellulose

13:20 Nordic bioproduct group’s solutions for sustainable textiles

• Agricultural waste as fibre source
• Textile waste as fibre source
• Wood as fibre source

Olli Kähkönen, CEO, Nordic Bioproducts Group Ltd.

13:40 Development of cotton polyester textile recycling

• Mechanical recycling of textiles is efficient, but chemical recycling provides high quality.
• Improved alkaline cotton dissolving methods provide platform to recover and re-spin cotton to textile fibers
• For industrial application it is important to show methods for recycling on residual, especially polyester
• It has been possible to show virgin quality of re-spun fibers and their performance in actual clothing applications.

Ali Harlin, Research Professor, VTT

14:00 Turning textile waste into new cellulose fibre

• From linear to circular textile industry

Erik van der Weerd, CEO, SaXcell B.V.

SESSION: NEW RECYCLING TECHNOLOGIES

14:20 A recycler perspective - the impact of textile production and waste on the environment

• Textile waste: a global challenge.
• Scaling circular fashion.
• Maximizing environmental savings.

Ana Rodes, Head of Sustainability, Recover™

14:40 From chaos to order: scaling automated sorting to close the gap in textile circularity

• Increasing collection rates for textiles, ban on destruction and restrictions on exports create a need for high-volume, high-precision sorting.
• To enable efficient reuse, repairs and recycling, used textiles and textile waste needs to be separated and categorized according to the needs and requirements of current and emerging recycling technologies.
• TOMRA is a leader in automated sensor-based sorting solutions across a wide range of materials, from PET bottles and other plastics, to paper, cardboard and wood, to minerals and metals – but also berries, nuts and fruits.
• Textiles is the next frontier in this resource revolution.

Louisa Hoyes, Director Strategic Partnerships, TOMRA Textiles

15:00 Panel discussion: Circularity and future outlook in the textile industry

Panellists:

Louisa Hoyes, Director Strategic Partnerships, TOMRA Textiles

Iqra A. Inam, Head of Sustainability, Sapphire Textile Mills

More panellists to be announced….

15:45 Moderators closing remarks and end of event

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