New ideas at Sustainable Clothing and Textile Recycling Conference

New ideas and suggestions emerged at the recently concluded Sustainable Clothing and Textile Recycling Conference in Coimbatore. The third edition of the one-day B2B conference focused on textile recycling, upcycling, reuse and circular economy in apparel industries. The conference suggested that the government should support sustainable purchases.

Savio Rodrigues, Founder & CEO, Kianna Media Ventures in his speech said that every year half a million kg of plastics is thrown in ocean as wastage and emphasised on having a pollution free world. He said, “Don’t be an observer – be a preserver”.

Venkat Reddy Patil, Founder & CEO, Urdhva Management and Recommerce, said his company is working in various ways on recycling, and is open for collaboration in the field.

New ideas and suggestions emerged at the recently concluded Sustainable Clothing and Textile Recycling Conference in Coimbatore. The third edition of the one-day B2B conference focused on textile recycling, upcycling, reuse and circular economy in apparel industries. The conference suggested that the government should support sustainable purchases.

Units following recycling of wastages should be incentivised and rewarded, one of the speakers said at the conference. “The 11 R System can be followed by any industry for sustainable practice. The 11 R’s being Reject, Reduce, Recover, Recycle, Reuse, Recharge, Record/Register, Regroup/Recognise, Reward/Redeem, Regulate and Research.”

Piyush Goyal, Minister of Textiles – Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, who addressed the gathering virtually, suggested five pathways for the textile industry. These are: the best utilisation of the natural resources, increasing the usage of raw materials which are sustainable in the long run, responsible handling of chemicals in processes like dyeing and coating, zero Liquid Discharge for reprocessing wastewater, and adherence to guidelines to eliminate health risk of workers as well as consumers.

Goyal assured that the Government of India will extend its full support to the textile and apparel industry to bring back the same old dominance of the Indian textile sector.

On the whole, the conference was an eye opener with respect to sustainability and textile recycling, especially about the current standing of the Indian industry, and what it needs to do.

Click here to read the complete summary of the proceedings.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RKS)