Nearly 100 members of the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association (SMART), the Bureau of International Recycling’s Textiles Division (BIR), and the Council for Textile Recycling (CTR) held the first International Textile Recycling Summit (ITRS) at the Fontainebleau Hotel on Miami Beach. Attendees discussed industry trends, concerns, and emerging markets.
The three organizations represented profit textile recycling companies, non-profit organizations involved in textile recycling, apparel manufacturers, representatives from academia, and governmental agencies, all of which are focused on recycling, especially used clothing and textiles.
In addition to the conference seminars and panel discussions the organizations presented the Leadership in Sustainable Apparel - Recycling Innovator Award to Cotton Inc for their ‘Blue Jeans Go Green’ program. Since its inception, Blue Jeans Go Green program has diverted over 600 tons of denim out of landfills. To date, more than two million sq. ft. of Ultratouch denim home insulation has been generated from the denim recovered under the program.
Panel discussions held during ITRS included: discussions on global sustainability of the clothing industry and reuse and recycling as seen from the perspective of clothing manufacturers and retailers. Other panel discussions focused on the challenges of the core industry of used clothing collection, reclaimed wipers and fiber conversion and global trends, and innovations in the used clothing/textile recycling industry.
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