Vancouver - Planet Textiles, the annual event on textile sustainability will feature three breakout sessions on finance, deforestation and water this year as well as a key focus on the growing issue of textile microfibre pollution and a special session on new innovations.
Taking place on the 22nd May at the Sheraton Hotel, Vancouver, in partnership with MCL News & Media and the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, it’s expected that around 400 delegates will hear from industry leaders and environmental experts on the issues of scaling up sustainable innovation, the problems of textile microfibre pollution, financing innovation, deforestation and raw material selection, and traceability and harmonisation of textile chemistry in relation to water.
At this edition, a special session on new innovations will feature in collaboration with Fashion for Good, and includes 10 pitches of unique, fledgling technologies that are designed to make a positive environmental impact to the global textile supply chain.
After the event, Fashion For Good will select some of the most interesting Planet Textile pitches for inclusion in its priority review process for potential funding in order to scale-up innovation.
One of the core objectives of Fashion For Good is to find, invest in, and then accelerate start-ups that fast-track the transition to a sustainable and circular apparel industry.
Scaling up innovation will be a major focus throughout this year’s Planet Textiles but the issue of microfibre pollution in aquatic environments, deforestation and the man-made cellulosic industry, chemical management in relation to wastewater an effluent and plenary sessions from leading retailers and brands will also feature.
A special session on financing innovation will be led by Scott Miller at the Sustainable Apparel Coalition and is expected to feature companies such as HSBC and Calvert Investments to illustrate some of the ways entrepreneurs can access funding to scale up their innovations.
Speakers selected so far include Frank Michel, the CEO of the ZDHC who will lead a ‘fireside chat’ with other leading textile chemical executives on how to scale up transparency and harmonise efforts in terms of chemical management across textile supply chains.
Meanwhile, Ruediger Fox, the CEO of Sympatex, which develops, manufactures and sells membranes, laminates, functional textiles, finished products for a range of apparel will outline how the company has implemented sustainability into its product range.
Looking at transparency in the Chinese wet processing sector will be Linda Greer, senior scientist at the NRDC – America’s largest consumer environmental organisation – who will talk about its work with the Beijing-based Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs (IPE) on a new tool to monitor pollution incidents at Chinese textile mills in real time. Not only that, but Greer will illustrate how business and consumers can then link these incidents to the brands who are using these factories.
Elsewhere CanopyStyle will be involved along with Lenzing and others in a discussion on deforestation and climate change in relation to the man-made cellulosic fibre sector. Other participants will include Spinnova which details progress of its viscose alternative that’s made using a unique wet extrusion process based on the flow properties (rheology) of a modified, aqueous wood fibre slurry.
The Planet Textiles ‘Pod’
A special new innovation at this year’s event will be a media area where selected filmed interviews and podcasts will take place, which will then be available to delegates and the rest of the industry after the event closes.
Video interviews will explore a range of new technologies, innovations and strategies from both invited attendees and speakers based around the event themes.
Details of our keynote speakers will be unveiled shortly at: www.ecotextile.com
This year the event is being supported by event partner Sympatex, leadership partners: Lenzing and the ZDHC Foundation; along with Kendor Textiles, Toxservices LLC, Fashion for Good and Proavita.
To book: www.planet-textiles.com