Textiles sector is focus of BIR September event in Brussels

Separating fact from fiction regarding textile recycling and reuse will be the subject of a Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) event scheduled for Sept. 17 at the Steigenberger Hotel in Brussels.

The Textiles Division of the Brussels-based BIR has prepared the event “along with leading industry experts [who] will present first-hand insights about the realities and solutions for end-of-life textiles.”

The BIR says the one-day conference will look beyond Europe to the international landscape of textile recycling and trade. Attendees also will have an opportunity to interact with what BIR calls key stakeholders including designers, producers and retailers, as well as policymakers, lobbyists, circular economy experts, academics, researchers and of reuse/recycling experts.

According to the global recycling federation, “The narrative around end-of-life/end-of-use textiles is getting increasingly blurred, with headlines often painting a one-sided picture, leaving the public unclear as to the ‘real’ story of used clothing, its place in the circular economy—and the important role of the recycling industry in bringing this sector back to life.”

Sessions Tuesday, Sept. 17, will focus on 1) trade restrictions, in a session that “will examine the realities of the second-hand trade” to Africa and other regions; 2) policy priorities, including potential impacts on the discarded textiles sector from regulations such as the Waste Shipment Directive and Waste Framework Directive in the EU, as well as initiatives in parts of the United States; and 3) recycling technologies, with presenters and panelists examining what needs to be done to make the mechanical or chemical recycling of discarded textiles commercially viable.

“There is a lot of incomplete information in the market about the second-hand textiles trade,” says BIR Textiles Division President Martin Böschen. “So, this event will be an opportunity to set the record straight and present a full picture of this market and its vital role in contributing to the circular economy.”

The event takes place about five weeks before the BIR fully convenes in Singapore in October for its World Recycling Convention Autumn Round-Table Sessions.

More information on the BIR Textiles Division event in Brussels can be found in the here.