Now, in 2022, the European Commission has made the thorough transition towards sustainability and circularity for different industries and especially the textile sector a main focus. The focus on textile is justified as the global textile production has almost doubled in the period between 2000 and 2015. Still less than 1 % of the global textile production is estimated to be recycled into new textiles at the end of life. The remaining 99 % of textiles go to landfilling, incineration or litter.

This demands a new way of thinking with regard to sustainability and circularity within the textile economy. This process already starts with the material selection of the fibres used for the textiles. Generally, textiles consist of fibres, which can be made from renewable and non-renewable resources. A first step towards improving the sustainability of textiles is the change from non-renewable to renewable fibres. In consequence, the textile industry shows a steadily increasing, enormous demand on renewable and sustainable fibres.

One effective solution towards ecodesign is the use of cellulose fibres. Cellulose is the main component of plant cell walls and a natural polymer. Therefore, cellulose is bio-based and biodegradable, even in marine-environments, where its degrading does not cause any microplastic. The different production technologies for extracting cellulose from plants can also be used for the recycling of cellulose which enables a circularity of the material.

With a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 5 and 10 %, cellulose fibres have been a success story within the textile market over the past decade. Similar growth rates are expected in the following years. This makes cellulosic fibres the fastest growing fibre group in the textile industry and therefore the largest investment sector in the global circular bio-economy.

However, the recycling of the cellulose has some hurdles. How can technology overcome these obstacles? How can markets achieve a circularity of the material? How can the cellulose fibres industry contribute to the sustainability and circularity of the textile sector? These and other questions represent the lead topics of the upcoming Cellulose Fibres Conference on 8-9 March 2023 in Cologne.

The 2022 conference successfully included 229 participants from 27 countries. The Cellulose Fibres Conference 2023 will cover the entire value chain, from lignocellulose, chemical pulp, cellulose fibres such as rayon, viscose, modal or lyocell and new developments to a wide range of applications: Textiles of all kinds, nonwovens such as wet wipes as well as new areas such as composites, packaging or nanocellulose in the food industry. The conference will give deep insights into the promising future of cellulose fibres, which perfectly fits the current trends of circular economy, recycling and sustainable carbon cycles.

Topics of the conference

• Strategies, Policy Framework of Textiles and Market Trends
• New Opportunities for Cellulose Fibres in Replacing Plastics
• Sustainability & Environmental Impacts
• Circular Economy and Recyclability of Fibres
• Alternative Feedstocks and Supply Chains
• New Technologies for Pulps, Fibres and Yarns
• New Technologies and Applications beyond Textiles