#Sustainability

2019-09-26

PERFORMANCE DAYS continues to focus on sustainability

Sustainability is a duty in the textile industry and PERFORMANCE DAYS wants to be the engine (c) 2019 PERFORMANCE DAYS functional fabric fair

It seems there is a lot of talk about sustainability these days – across the industries and around the world. A large share of the exploitation of resources and environmental pollution is (still) caused by the textile industry, specifically in the areas of water consumption, use of harmful chemicals, and CO2 emissions. This is the reason why the trade fair for functional fabrics and accessories, PERFORMANCE DAYS, taking place at November 13-14 in Munich, is dedicated to the topic of sustainability and has covered it comprehensively for several years now.

Sustainable textile production requires much more than recycled fabrics – PERFORMANCE DAYS exhibits the world of possibilities

According to Marco Weichert, head of the trade fair, "Sustainability is expected. It is our duty to act sustainably in all stages of the textile production process. Sustainability is much more than simply using recycled fibres and fabrics. PERFORMANCE DAYS was early to showcase this on a broad scale. We have accompanied the sustainable developments in the industry for many seasons, but even more, we provided the impulse in various directions for sustainability research and development."

Marketing manager Lena Weimer added: "Our FOCUS TOPICs featured sustainability issues early on and provided a focus to our innovative fibre and fabric producers to pursue developments in this field. Whether recycled fibres, recyclable materials, the important topics of biodegradability, water conservation or the use of natural fibres for functional fabrics – we show all possible textile aspects of sustainability for the industry."

Major new framework program on Day 2 – The SUSTAIN&INNOVATE Conference

PERFORMANCE DAYS together with trade magazine SAZ Sports&Fashion has organized the first International Sustainability Congress, to be presented in November 2019 for the first time and featuring a brand new format for the textile industry with the title SUSTAIN&INNOVATE. The lectures and discussion panels on Day 2 of the fair focus exclusively and comprehensively on the topic of sustainability. International guest speakers will address all aspects of sustainability in lectures and discussions in the EXPERT TALK AREA of the exhibition hall on November 14th, 2019. More detailed information on this program will be available in the coming weeks.

PERFORMANCE FORUM and FOCUS TOPIC WALL exclusively feature sustainable materials

PERFORMANCE DAYS takes its responsibility for sustainability very seriously and has made the decision – as announced in July – to present only sustainable materials in the curated PERFORMANCE FORUM. Also, to give visitors an overview of all aspects of sustainability, the FOCUS TOPIC WALL is dedicated to the topic. Visit the FOCUS TOPIC WALL to see the 24 most sustainable fabrics as selected by the jury as well as explanations of all areas of sustainability. Detailed explanations are provided for the key areas listed below:

Recycled fibres
Natural fibres from renewable resources
Recycling qualities
Bio-degradables or compostables
Microplastics
Product life cycles
Water conservation
Energy savings
Reduce CO2 emissions
Reduce chemicals

The current "state of the art" is highlighted in all of these topics as they pertain to the textile industry. Further important developments are also summarized at the FOCUS TOPIC WALL.

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

Jeanologia and BCome connect factory data with Life Cycle Assessment and Digital Product Passports

A new white paper by EIM by Jeanologia and BCome demonstrates how primary environmental data from denim finishing processes can be integrated into a garment's Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and prepared for use in a Digital Product Passport (DPP). A comparative case study highlights significant improvements at the production stage while also showing how these translate into the environmental performance of the finished garment.

Stäubli to introduce new S3292 dobby for high-speed weaving at ITME India 2026

Stäubli will introduce its new S3292 dobby at ITME India 2026, taking place from December 4 to 9 at the India Expo Centre & Mart in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. Designed for high-speed air-jet weaving, the new machine will be among the highlights of the company's presentation, which also includes warp preparation systems, cam motions, Jacquard technologies and digital services.

DITF develops bio-based binding fibers for wood-fiber insulation materials

As part of the CelluWoodFlex project, the German Institutes of Textile- and Fiber-Research in Denkendorf (DITF) are developing bio-based cellulose ester fibers as alternative binding fibers for flexible wood fiber insulation materials. In addition to the spinning process and the production of suitable staple fibers, the institute is also investigating how wood and cellulose fibers can be separated and recycled at the end of their useful life.

Reju expands textile-to-textile recycling network with six international fabric manufacturers

Reju, a textile-to-textile regeneration company, is expanding its industrial network through collaborations with six fabric manufacturers in Europe and the Americas. The initiative aims to accelerate the integration of regenerated polyester into textile manufacturing and support the development of finished fabrics for commercial applications.

Magnera highlights HighPleat™ filtration media technology at FiltXPO 2026

At FiltXPO 2026, held on October 28–29 at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Magnera highlighted advances in air filtration media architecture, with a particular focus on its HighPleat™ platform for MERV 8–10 applications. The technology combines a lofted fiber structure with optimized pore architecture to address the challenge of balancing filtration efficiency, airflow resistance and contaminant-holding capacity.