The ACPE Panel Talk at the OutDoor by ISPO trade fair 2023 in Munich deals with the opportunities and risks of a circular economy in the textile industry. Petra Schweiger, Dobromira Vasileva and Dr. Martin Mayershofer, 3 experts from the industry will exchange views on the latest developments. The panel will be moderated by Sympathy Lab host Kim Scholze.
Outdoor by ISPO
The textile industry is becoming increasingly aware of sustainable solutions and the opportunities offered by a circular economy. The panel discussion at Outdoor by ISPO in Munich will cover ideas, solutions and desired future visions for a more sustainable industry to provide deeper insights into this exciting topic.
At Outdoor by ISPO, experts from the outdoor industry meet and work together to find new ways, trends, and innovations for forward-thinking brands and share ideas about environmental and social responsibility.
Speaker
In her role as Director at Accelerating Circularity, a non-profit company, Petra Schweiger pursues the goal of an effective circular economy in which used textiles are reintroduced into the cycle. The idea is to turn used textiles back into raw materials and create new supply chains from them. The company seeks to connect the various players along the industry's production chain to accelerate the recycling process.
Dobromira Vasileva is a sustainability specialist at TexCycle, a Eurotex Group company. They help reduce waste and resource use by effectively sorting textiles for recycling and distributing recycled products.
The third expert on the panel is Dr. Martin Mayershofer. He is a polymer chemist at Sympatex, a company that produces a sustainable, breathable and 100% waterproof membrane for the textile industry. He shares the vision of a full circular economy and supports this goal by not using any new materials from the oil industry at Sympatex, but by recycling used textiles into new high quality products.
Panel Talk
The conversation revolves around the challenges and opportunities of a closed-loop economy in the textile industry. Panelists emphasized the role of textile production in reducing the environmental footprint by relying on sustainable and resource-efficient materials. In addition, panelists talk about the importance of designing durable products and promoting repair and recycling options.
The experts agree that there is a need to improve collaboration between different players along the entire value chain. The textile industry still has a lot of work to do to achieve a full circular economy. More investment is needed in research and development, fostering collaborations between companies, and increasing consumer awareness of sustainable alternatives. Only through joint efforts and commitment can we create a sustainable and future-proof textile industry.
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