Reliance Industries and Ellen MacArthur Foundation confirmed for Planet Textiles

BANGALORE – Delegates at Planet Textiles 2017 in Bangalore will hear a unique insight from polyester textile giant Reliance Industries – which also has 3,300 retail outlets across India – about how environmental issues are now starting to gain traction among Indian consumers. In addition, Planet Textiles can also announce that the Ellen MacArthur Foundation will speaking at the event. The UK-based global charity will give an update on the Foundation’s latest work on the circular economy in direct relation to the global textile industry. It was also confirmed this week that James Carnahan, Head of Sustainability at textile chemical specialists Archroma will lead and moderate a special breakout session on environmental issues in the wet processing sector.

Middle class consumer spending in Asia-Pacific is expected to outstrip the rest of the world in the next decade, which is fueling phenomenal growth in the Indian retail industry and is expected to result in the sector doubling in value from 2015 to 2020. These are some of the key insights that Gunjan Sharma, CMO, Reliance Polyester Sector, which is the world’s largest integrated polyester fibre producer will give delegates at Planet Textiles 2017. Sharma will also give an appraisal of how the company is addressing these issues through the use of carbon and water footprints and supply chain traceability as consumers in India become more aware of the environmental impacts of clothing. Reliance will also detail how it manufactures PET chips that are used to make bottles and recycles the same bottles back into textile fibres, thus in effect closing the textile loop.

It’s also been confirmed that Sven Herrmann, senior project manager at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation will speak to delegates at this year’s Planet Textiles Summit, which takes place on 24th May in Bangalore, India. Sven will give more detail on the latest work from the UK-based international charity, which is related to the textile sector and to the circular economy.

We can also confirm that James Carnahan, Head of Sustainability at Archroma will lead and moderate a special breakout session on environmental issues in the wet processing sector with reference to the production and use of textile chemicals and dyes and with a focus on water use and conservation. More information on this session soon, which will complement a special breakout session by the ZDHC.

The event is being produced in partnership with leading man-made cellulosic supplier Lenzing and is also being kindly sponsored by Oeko-Tex, Covestro, ZDHC Archroma, Bureau Veritas and Proviera. Supporters include Messe Frankfurt and The Dyestuff Manufacturers Association of India.   

To sign up as a delegate to the event please go HERE.

Other exciting key speakers from the global retail and textile manufacturing sector will be announced in the coming weeks.