Cologne in Germany will host the first International Conference on Cellulose Fibres conference on cellulose fibers, February 11 to 12, 2020. This will bring together the world’s most important producers and players. With 30 presentations, the program covers a wide range of topics such as markets and politics, sustainability and circularity, new production technologies, alternative raw materials and applications in the fields of textiles, hygiene products, biocomposites and food. The focus is also on applications in which plastics can be replaced by cellulose fibers. Leading companies will present their latest technological developments, new properties and applications. Life cycle assessments and concepts for the extraction of cellulose fibers from alternative raw material sources will also be presented, whereby the fibers can be reintegrated into the circular economy to be used again. The industry’s market leaders will be joined by various start-ups and leading research institutes.

Sustainability will be highlighted by two sessions and a panel discussion, in which users, certifiers and environmental groups will participate. An additional thematic focus is the biodegradability of cellulose fibers. This topic is of particular importance because microfibers inevitably enter the wastewater during the washing of textiles. Additionally, various disposable plastic products that can be partially substituted by cellulose fibers will be banned from 2021. There will be scientific presentations on these topics.