Sustainability Will Shape the Future of the Textile Industry

Sustainability Will Determine the Future of the Textile Industry

The Danish Consulate General in Istanbul's Trade Attaché office organized a webinar on sustainable textiles, circular economy and environmentally conscious design as part of its "Nordic Talks" series, given that the textile sector is one of the industries with the largest carbon and water footprint. At the event titled "Circular, Creative and Sustainable Textiles for the Future," discussions focused on the impact of technology, innovation and responsible production on the textile industry within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). ISTANBUL (AA)- Denmark's Consul General in Istanbul Thierry Hoppe hosted the event. Hoppe stated, "I believe we are still only seeing the tip of the iceberg in terms of sustainability expectations in the textile and ready-made clothing industry. Pressure is mounting from customers, partners, civil society and governments. Companies that succeed in adapting their supply chains and business models accordingly will have much greater opportunities for growth." Speakers at the webinar hosted by Hoppe included Deniz Erda, General Manager of Ecco Shoes Turkey, Kemal Say, General Manager of Fibertex Nonwovens Turkey, and Soren Robenhagen, Industrial Water Sales Director at Aquaporin. The event was moderated by Sinem Çelik, founder of BluProjects.

Sustainability and Digitalization Will Be Key Parameters for Success

Denmark's Consul General Hoppe emphasized that only the tip of the iceberg is visible in terms of sustainability expectations in the textile and ready-made clothing industry and said, "Pressure is mounting from customers, partners, civil society and governments. Companies that succeed in adapting their supply chains and business models accordingly will have much greater opportunities for growth. A recent survey among Danish fashion and textile companies showed that they believe sustainability and digitalization will be key parameters for success in the post-pandemic period. The biggest driving force in this regard is business owners, employees and the retail sector anticipating changing customer demands." Kemal Say, General Manager of Fibertex Nonwovens Turkey, also made statements. Say pointed out that the world's resources are being used without limit; "Over the last 100 years, consumption has increased so much that we can no longer meet the needs of future generations. We have two options now; either we stop and update our current system or we continue as before and face inevitable catastrophe. With EU-sourced regulations, the concept and objectives of sustainable development are our most important resource at this point. In this direction, as Fibertex Nonwovens, we are continuing on our path as one of the leading companies in the textile sector and particularly in the nonwoven sector by adopting responsible and conscious production."

2,700 Liters of Water Is Used to Produce a Single T-Shirt

Globally, the fashion industry produces and sells between 80 billion and 150 billion garments per year. An average piece of clothing is discarded after being worn only 7 times, with an average lifespan of approximately 3 years. As much as 84% of all produced clothing is incinerated or sent to landfills within a few years. These textile waste materials take years to disappear in nature. The textile industry is one of the world's largest consumers and polluters of water. As much as 20% of global water pollution originates from the textile industry. Every year, 190,000 tons of textile microplastics and approximately 0.5 million tons of microfibers from synthetic textiles washing enter the oceans. The fashion industry consumes approximately 93 billion cubic meters of water annually, with a single t-shirt requiring 2,700 liters of water to produce.