The Textile Institute’s Technical Textiles Special Interest Group (TT SIG) is holding a free-to-attend roundtable discussion on recycling and reuse in the technical textile sector.

Over 90 minutes, an invited panel of experts will discuss their involvement and experience in different aspects of this far-ranging issue. Participants acive in the regeneration of technical fibres will  include speakers from Baltex, BM Longworth, Carpet Recycling UK, General Recycled, Gen 2 Carbon and LMB.

The discussion will be open and inclusive for audience participation and takes place on Thursday February 2^nd at 15.30 GMT, with access available afterwards for interested parties unable to attend live.

The annual production of all fibre types – natural and synthetic – is currently around 92 million tons.

Of this production, less than 1% is currently recycled back to new fibres in any kind of circular system and forecasts indicate that another 45 million tons of fibres will be required to meet rising demand by 2030.

Things, however, are poised to change, with future fibres poised to be viewed as valuable resources.

As part of the European Union’s upcoming Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles, for example, the separate collection of textile waste will become mandatory for all EU member states on January 1st 2025, with an extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme for dealing with the waste to be introduced.

There is already an economic case for the recycling of specific high value fibres reclaimed from technical textiles, such as aramids from protective clothing and workwear fabrics and nylon from tyres and floorcoverings, while recycled carbon fibres from composites have significant expansion potential. All of these areas will be discussed during the 90-minute meeting.

Free e-tickets can be obtained via Eventbrite here.

www.textileinstitute.org