Sympatex to present green membrane at ISPO Munich

Consumers are becoming more critical than they used to be and are disturbing old production methods with their demand for more sustainability. Demographic change has also been observed and manufacturers are responding towards external factors, says ISPO.

“There are some firms which are trying to reduce emissions of CO₂ by using new materials or sustainable technology. Furthermore, there are brands which are now using fewer toxic chemicals and are taking animal rights into consideration,” said Benjamin Marias from France’s Agence Innovation Responsable (AIR) about consumers’ influence on product development.

“Critical consumers have recently caused changes in the textile industry. Recently developed materials, such as the ones used in Columbia’s OutDry Extreme Eco collection, are made using water-resistant membranes and inner linings which do not contain PFCs,” said Dr Junyan Hu, senior research fellow at the Institute of Textiles & Clothing Hong Kong.

Marias has not identified any products developed directly in response to climate change and companies are not offering multifunctional textiles or products adapted to changing weather and snow conditions. He also does not believe that climate change will lead to completely new product groups. Instead it will be business models that will change.

Transparency will be a key theme for critical consumers at ISPO 2017. “Transparency regarding environmental impact and social effects during manufacturing processes is an increasingly important factor for consumers when choosing a product. France, the EU and the Sustainable Apparel Coalition are working towards this,” continued Marias. (KD)

ALCHEMPro News Desk – India