Regenerative fibres: why regenerated wetlands might be the next fibre-sourcing solution

Saal Bira
Mittwoch, 13.09.2023, 13:55 - 14:20 Uhr

Julian’s presentation will be discussing the potential of new regenerative fibre feedstocks that can make high-quality textile products whilst regenerating damaged environments. The talk will discuss how the future of growing new fibre supply chains will have to focus on regenerative sources if we are to meet global climate goals as well as the industry’s commercial ambitions.

Sprecher
Julian Ellis-Brown (Seltyco Ltd., Bristol (GBR))

Global demands on fibre supplies continue to increase and it is predicted that by 2030 the industry will reach a scale of 149 million metric tonnes of textile fibres. As the supply of fibre grows, we must also significantly reduce our reliance on environmentally damaging sources that produce too much carbon, pollute our environment and/or devastate biodiversity. One potential for this is a new form of regenerative agriculture called paludiculture. Paludiculture, meaning ‘marsh-farming’ is a method of restoring the millions of hectares of damaged peatlands globally whilst continuing to provide useful crops such as fibre. Saltyco is spearheading the use of these crops for textiles through their application in insulation non-woven products. The opportunities don’t stop there as Saltyco looks to see how these materials may have applications for MMCFs of the future.