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Taking advantage of the theme ‘Sustainability meets Competitiveness’ of the 10th Euratex Convention | 24th Textile Industry Forum, ATP’s Sustainable Fashion From Portugal project will present its new magazine: ‘The Green Materials From Portugal’, on the 13th of October. An ATP publication that aims to highlight sustainable materials and processes developed by the Portuguese textile and clothing sector as a continuation/complement of the previous works ‘The Green Wave From Portugal’ and ‘The Green Book’.
“We have witnessed a real revolution in recent years in terms of materials, processes and technologies with a view to efficiency, reducing environmental impact, and strengthening the circular economy”, introduces Mário Jorge Machado, President of ATP. Adds that this magazine aims to present developments in the sector in the field of new materials. In this diverse and complex world and industry, this will always be the tip of the iceberg. Concludes “Much more could be said about how much was done regarding the textile and clothing sector sustainability in Portugal”.
This new publication presents, among other topics, different fibers, and their advantages, recycling processes and natural dyeing, ecodesign, bioeconomy projects in competition, and trends for the future are discussed. In the latter, in excerpts taken from the chapter, «In the future, garments will be (nigh) immortal, Ana Tavares answered the question: ‘What would you say is currently the greatest challenge for Portugal, in these areas? Where are we now and where are we headed to, immediately afterwards? The idea is that there are three distinct stages to fully achieving sustainability: “the first stage pertains to the grasping of concepts that is, hearing about sustainability, which is, (…) we were in this stage for a short time. Currently, we have already surpassed it (…) I think we can say that we are in a second phase (…), in the development phase, we are doing things in companies that integrate these concepts. This phase, in my opinion, is going to be quite long, as plenty work needs to be done. (…) And, in the future, we will reach a third phase, in which we will enter at cruising speed, and in which our problems will no longer be the same. Now, there will certainly be problems to account for, of that I have absolutely no doubt, but the complexity of said concepts will be diluted in the knowledge we will have acquired by then, and the speed with which we will be able to overcome our challenges will be exponentially greater.
The coordinator of the strategic Agenda for Sustainable, Bio and Circular Economy at Citeve, also gives an example of the Portuguese potential in this area: “We know that in Portugal we also produce burel, a fabric that is much in demand for use in other areas, such as interior textiles, architecture and even interior design, which an enormous growth potential and environmentally speaking, it provides major advantages. Not only so, because burel is produced locally, we can supply markets that are very close to us and we don’t need to rely on major, invasive chemical finishes – of the fibres and the fabrics created – because these much desired properties are intrinsic to the material itself. And adds: Portugal is recognised worldwide for its ability to innovate and work on new projects in this sector. Having said that, one concludes that Portugal is, undoubtedly, very well positioned in terms of innovation in the field of materials.
The Sustainable Fashion From Portugal project has been spreading the word about the green path of Portuguese ITV. Firstly, the launch of the magazine ‘The Green Wave’ in February. Then in July, the book ‘The Green Book’ and also through the Showcase Sustainable Fashion From Portugal. After several fairs traveled around the world, these three works, developed with the curatorship of Paulo Gomes, will also be at the Euratex Convention.
“The Sustainable Fashion From Portugal exhibition highlights the multiple facets of sustainable fashion made in Portugal, combining scientific research and the development of new materials with contemporary design and the main fashion trends”, advances ATP. Acatel, Albano Morgado, Burel Factory, Lemar, LMA, RDD, Tintex Textiles, and Troficolor are the companies represented in this showcase, along with a creative Hub formed by young Portuguese designers. “On display will be fashion outfits made with exclusively Portuguese sustainable materials obtained through various processes, including lyocell fabrics, organic and recycled cotton, recycled wool, coverings made from cork waste, fibers made from plastic taken from the ocean, and recycled”, exemplifies the association.
The paper publications ‘The Green Book’ and ‘The Green Wave’ reinforce Portugal’s position as the epicenter of sustainable textile and clothing production in Europe and worldwide. They are another path to progress, bringing together contributions from producers, creative thinkers, and other personalities who want to be part of the change.