Besides great technological advances, the textile industry also has its downsides. Today, yarn for textile production is still predominantly made of crude oil-based synthetic fibers. The so-called fast fashion trend in the industry creates enormous amounts of waste every year, as currently less than 1% of textile waste is recycled. In addition, the textile industry, especially in the apparel sector, is often associated in the media with environmental pollution (e.g., from wastewater).
It is clear that the problem of textile waste is not a purely technological one. Our current consumer society also bears its share of responsibility. But where there are problems, there are ideally also solutions. One solution for avoiding textile waste could be the BIOTEXFUTURE innovation space, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). What exactly lies behind the BIOTEXFUTURE Innovation Space is what Prof. Gries from the BIOTEXFUTURE Steering Committee, university professor and head of the Institute of Textile Technology at RWTH Aachen University (ITA), will tell us in the following interview.
Please enjoy reading the full interview here.
