Specialty Fabrics Review February 2022 - 44

[ MARKETS ] ADVANCED TEXTILES
is, " How do we get the measurable
impact? " This in turn is driven by the
consumer who is increasingly educated
and wants to know about sustainability
and the life cycle analysis of the product.
We are really
designing those
products to be able to
have a future use.
Ben Mead
Hohenstein Institute America
Designing for sustainability
Mead raised the issue of " designing
for sustainability, " which needs to go
beyond the label. " If we're going to
be serious about impacts, we have to
get those products back in. No matter
what they are, whether they be car
seats or apparel or some sort
of commercial textile, " he says.
" We are really designing those
products to be able to have a future
use, " which he acknowledged is a huge
challenge. " How do we design to avoid
contaminants in a use that we cannot
envisage yet? " he asked.
One example of a dramatic market
shift is the face mask. " A year ago,
the idea that disposable face masks,
gloves, and wipes could become global
environmental pollutants was not a
pressing concern, " Laura Palmer wrote
in an article for National Geographic
( " How to stop discarded face masks
from polluting the planet, " April 14,
2021), " No one imagined just how much
of it would be needed, for so long. "
Palmer estimates that 3 million face
masks containing plastics that are not
recyclable are used every minute with
Asia alone estimated to discard 1.8
billion face masks daily.
Extended producer
responsibility
Responding to an attendee question
about how the panelists see themselves
in terms of recycling responsibility,
Boyd said she sees the responsibility
at many points along the supply
chain, but she also acknowledged that
" unfortunately, sometimes things move
really slowly if you wait for others. "
In fact, extended producer
responsibilities (EPRs) and legislation
can also be slow moving, in her view.
At Unifi they have taken it upon
themselves to create the demand
and the capacity, but she agreed that
the success of such initiatives is also
dependent on other parts of the chain,
and while markets may be global, local
initiatives in addressing sustainability
can differ considerably.
" I think that the brand and the
retailer have an incredible opportunity
to speak directly to the consumer, " she
said. " I think in Europe the EPR will
take more of a forefront position there. "
Accountability
Stephanie Rodgers, the panel
 The OEKO-TEX®
System covers the textile and leather supply chains with
a modular approach to certifying inputs, processes and outputs for more
sustainable products. Photo: Hohenstein.
moderator, raised another issue:
" What about RFID tags or sensing
technology? " She suggested that such
technologies with their ability to
harness, connect and disseminate data
could be an invaluable sustainability
44 SPECIALTY FABRICS REVIEW / February 2022
Specialty Fabrics Review February 2022

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