Recycled fibre and yarn will come into focus at ITMA 2015 with their own sub-chapter – a development that recognises the increasing role of recycled raw materials in textiles of all kinds.
The recycling of synthetic polymers has become well-established and there are now branded fibres made from polyester recovered from discarded PET bottles and other non-textile sources.
In the past the recycling of natural fibres was associated only with the production of low-quality fabrics but today things are very different.
There are high-street names that make a feature of the recycled wool or cotton content in their garments. H&M has said it can use 20% of recycled fibre in denim garments without loss of quality.This is a trend that is likely to continue.
The recent report of the European Union’s Joint Research Committee, which attempts to identify the most practical strategies for improving the sustainability of textiles, highlights the vital influence of the consumer in the lifetime sustainability of a textile and its conclusions indicate that public policy will in future be directed towards educating the shopper to value matters such as recycled content.
Industry standards are also being introduced to reassure consumers about ‘recycled’ claims and to provide textile producers with a framework by which to establish fair competition.
Only last year Textile Exchange published its Recycled Claim Standard (RCS), which it said was a tool to ensure that final products are labelled with accurate recycled-content values.
