‘Let’s talk about it’: Ecology in the textile pipeline

As in the past, the ‘Let’s talk about it’ lecture programme at this year’s Heimtextil was distinguished by many interesting lectures. On the Thursday of the fair, everything there revolved around the subject of sustainability.

One of the lectures was entitled ‘Ecology in the textile pipeline’ and was given by Gabriele Kolompar, General Manager of Engel Naturtextilien and Director of the International Association of the Natural Textile Industry.

In her lecture, Kolompar reviewed the entire product pipeline from fibre, yarns and fabric to finishing, making up, logistics and the customer. At each stage, she outlined healthy, environmentally-friendly and socially-fair alternatives, not omitting any critical aspects. For example, she listed a number of renewable raw materials for textiles, such as cotton, flax, nettles and hemp. She spoke about sustainable alternatives that are possible at all points along the textile chain not forgetting to mention that nature protection areas, such as tundra and taiga, are being destroyed to cultivate bio-hemp.