Royal support for first Sustainability in UK Textiles conference
The first Sustainability in UK Textiles conference was opened by Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal (Anne), who is president of conference organiser UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT).
The conference, organised to share best practice on sustainability and discuss how the sector can grow, welcomed speakers from textile manufacturers including Alex Begg, AW Hainsworth, Camira Fabrics, and John Smedley while academics from the University of Huddersfield and University of Leeds outlined how the research and education can support the sector.
Dr John Parkinson from iinnouiio explained how his start-up is reinvigorating traditional recycling techniques to recover wool and cashmere, while Jo Dawson, founder of HD Wool and chairman of wool merchant H Dawson, outlined how he is building on a 130-year heritage to take the performance benefits of wool to a new audience.
Resources and waste minister Jo Churchill said: “The fashion industry accounts for around 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions and 20% of industrial water pollution globally – so I am hugely excited to see innovations in our textile manufacturing industry which will reduce over-reliance on virgin materials and boost the green credentials of our UK textiles sector.
“Our Environment Act will encourage ecodesign and transparent labelling to make it easier for consumers to make environmentally-friendly choices.”
Adam Mansell, CEO of UKFT, said: “The global textile industry is often cited as one of the most polluting but we know that isn’t true for our industry here in the UK. With the support of The Textile Livery Group, we brought key players together to help our sector better tell the story of the capability and capacity of UK textiles.
“Against a backdrop of significant supply chain disruption and substantial cost increases, we also explored how companies can identify sustainable priorities and prepare for changes driven by legislation, retailers and consumers.”
Image: HD Wool at the Sustainability in UK Textiles conference in London
