DORNBIRN – The circular economy will be the key topic at the 57th Dornbirn Global Fiber Congress which takes place in Austria from 12-14 September.

“The nature of the fibre industry is changing rapidly,” says Robert van de Kerkhof, president of the Austrian Fibers Institute and CCO at Lenzing. “Not only are volumes increasing – having passed 100 million tons in 2017 – but at the same time NGOs – who focus on all parts of the value chain – are drawing more and more attention to the industry.”

Fibre producers, he adds, will have to contribute more to sustainability issues than in the past.

“Never before have there been so many activities by NGOs and so many critical reports about the industry and the sustainable production of textiles and nonwovens is already one of the most important decision criteria for a constantly growing group of designers and consumers. Only if our industry and the entire value chain meet this challenge on a broad and global basis, will we be able to maintain our social acceptance and continue the strong growth of recent years.”

For van de Kerkhof, transparency towards partners in the value chain and a willingness to engage in dialogue and cooperation with NGOs are now important principles for the further development of business.

“One of the upcoming concepts in sustainability, that has been much discussed, is the circular economy,” he says. “There are many initiatives, which focus on different parts of the value chain – from the sourcing of raw materials to production and usage of the fibres as well as what happens with the applications thereafter. It is therefore no coincidence that the circular economy will be the main topic at this year’s Dornbirn conference.”

The full programme for the the 57th Dornbirn GFC can be viewed here: https://bit.ly/2MKShDA

Web: www.dornbirn-gfc.com