In the third part of the Recommerce interview with Mr Venkat Reddy Patil, we understand the potential of sustainable clothing and the importance of the textile industry.
Incubees: Is sustainable clothing a booming industry? If yes, what’s the potential for it in the future?
Venkat Reddy Patil: Over the last year or so, technology has helped us all to cope more effectively with social and business restrictions imposed in response to the pandemic.
The apparel industries around the world are adopting sustainability practices and are embracing a new way through upcycled and recycled fashion. Upcycling is the same process of reusing old materials, but it creates something more valuable or of a higher quality. Many known professionals around the world have started to adopt sustainable fashion as the new frontier.
The growth is mainly due to the growing awareness about using sustainable fashion for a green future.
Consumption of sustainable fashion will increase in different ways. An example is products made from more sustainable materials: they may be recycled materials, or they may be made from materials with a lower carbon footprint, like organic cotton rather than regular cotton. As well as resale and rental, repairs and refurbishments could also fit in the circular business model. The future holds a lot of promise, as I mentioned earlier, known professionals are bringing in awareness that will reflect on people as time passes and will encourage them to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle.
Incubees: Why is it important to raise awareness of the sustainable textile industry now?
Venkat Reddy Patil: Even though nearly 100 percent of clothing is recyclable, about 75 to 85 percent of textile waste ends up in landfills or is incinerated instead of being reused in the absence of proper recycling facilities, thereby polluting the environment. About 5 percent of the municipal waste generated consists of textile waste, because of the ever-changing fashion trends and increased demand for garments in both developing and developed countries.
Landfills that are considered the last resort in the waste hierarchy release methane, a powerful greenhouse gas impacting climate change. Methane is produced in landfills by microorganisms that consume biodegradable waste such as food, paper, and yard waste. Landfills can also contaminate soil and water depending on how they are constructed.
It may be possible to resolve current concerns through the adoption of a circular economy. Circular textiles production is designed to be recuperative and renews and increases a product’s life cycle. Resource scarcity, resource use, and the recycling of discarded items within the economy are addressed through this model, which overcomes the limitations of the linear economy model.
Incubees: How did you select the speakers for this event? Why watching them interact is advantageous?
Venkat Reddy Patil: Speakers are an experienced individual who adds value to the conference via their impeccable knowledge and contribution to the field. The important topics are identified for the speaking session and after evaluating the topics, the individuals who have contributed to the change and working for the betterment of society are approached to expand their vision to provide the community, resources, and education that individuals and businesses in the recycling industry need to thrive.
For a person working on the ground knows the reality it possesses and the challenges it has to overcome. As a start-up, we aim to create an ecosystem of community members from various fields to address the critical discussion that can act as a bridge to revamp the industry.
Interacting with speakers can give you the opportunity to Network with C- Level Experts & Influencers in your field, The conference includes Keynote and Plenary Sessions, Speaker Sessions, Young Researcher Forum, Workshops, Symposia, Video Presentations, Poster presentations, E-Posters, Exhibitions, and also an opportunity for B2B meetings on the most recent improvements in the field of Recycling and Waste Management by specialists from both Scholastic and Commerce foundation. You can get feedback on an early version of your latest work, engage in high-level debates and refine your idea, be active in your industry, and develop yourself as an expert to your peers and your clients.
Incubees: Due to its significant concentration of textile businesses, Coimbatore is referred to as the ‘Manchester of South India’. Will the textile industry there undergo a transformation due to this event?
Venkat Reddy Patil: The city of Coimbatore situated in Tamil Nadu is known as one of the biggest centres of textile manufacturing located in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore is the second-largest city in the state by area. Coimbatore is known as the” Manchester of South India” due to its extensive textile industry to fulfil the requirement of cotton in India. Cotton is cultivated extensively throughout Coimbatore.
To bring high-value innovations to the marketplace, engineers will require training in areas ranging from the classic disciplines of materials science and thermodynamics to specialities like polymeric biomaterials engineering, mechanics of tissue implants, and composite structures. The textile industry is shattering decades-old stereotypes about a labour-intensive, factory-based industry where men and women toiled over spinning jacks and looms. In a world where everything from athletic performance equipment to human health and rehabilitation is driven by computers, the clang of early production machinery should be replaced by the technological advances of a computer-driven enterprise.
As a result of the conference, a change in standard procedure and increased awareness of CSR and technology aspects of the textile industry will be brought about.
Incubees: How would sustainable clothing help India compete in global markets?
Venkat Reddy Patil: We are addressing the above topic in our conference as “Indian efforts to deliver a sustainable textile and fashion industry to the world”.
As reported,
Indian Textile and Apparel Market reached a value of US $151.2 Billion in 2021. The market is to reach US $344.1 Billion by 2027, with a CAGR of 14.8% during 2022-2027.
India’s textiles industry has around 4.5 crore employed workers including 35.22 lakh handloom workers across the country. Exports of textiles (RMG of all textiles, cotton yarns/fabs/made-ups/handloom products, man-made yarns/fabs/made-ups, handicrafts excluding handmade carpets, carpets and jute mfg. including floor coverings) stood at US $29.8 billion between April-December 2021.
The Indian textiles market is expected to be worth more than US $209 billion by 2029.
India is the world’s largest producer of cotton. Production stood at 360.13 lakh bales for the crop year October 2021-September 2022.
India’s home textile exports grew at a healthy rate of 9% in FY21 despite the pandemic. In the year 2020-21, 1.13 million tonnes of cotton yarn were exported from India.
The textiles industry (including dyed and printed) attracted Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) worth US $3.93 billion from April 2000-December 2021.
India is one of the top players in the textile industry, India’s effort will be a statement for the global markets to follow.
The Ministry also launched Project SU.RE. – Sustainable Resolution in 2019. It is a commitment by India’s apparel industry to establish a sustainable pathway for the fashion industry. This project will support the sector achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and long-term environmental, social, and corporate governance goals.
Incubees: What should attendees of the Re-commerce event anticipate?
Venkat Reddy :
- A chance to engage with top decision-makers and other professionals with shared challenges and experiences in this fast-developing sector. Recommerce offers a one-stop platform to network and grow your business.
- Budding researchers can gain irreplaceable knowledge from their peers and gain imperative information about all the latest developments in their fields by expanding their knowledge.
- Detailed presentations revealing the very latest market intelligence addressing the industry’s collective focus will enable you to understand the current market dynamics of textile recycling and reuse.
- Access different ideas and perspectives from a multitude of up cyclers, recyclers, manufacturers and allied industries combining regional experiences.
- Updates on new innovations and technological developments in recycling and repurposing of textile waste.
- Technical presentations from service providers showcasing the latest results from recent tests and trials, technological developments and new technological know-how.
- Present your business idea to the right audience: interested and diagnostic-focused industry experts and investors and gain valuable feedback
- Unique opportunity to integrate with a multitude of end users and hear the latest trends, with an overview of the year and projections for the recycling industry.
To read other parts of the interview: https://incubees.com/recommerce-building-an-entire-ecosystem-to-manage-recyclables-generated-by-industries/
To know more, visit: https://recommerceeco.com/
