Head of the Textile Working Group

At present, the textile industry in Saxony is predominantly characterised by small and medium-sized businesses which face new challenges including raw material shortage, rising energy costs and lack of skilled workers. In Saxony, about 60% of the textiles produce are used in technical textile applications.

Higher resource efficiency and more environmentally sustainable process following a closed-loop principle become increasingly relevant. The textile industry as a material- and energy-intensive sector is within Europe the fourth biggest environmental polluter causing a huge negative impact climate change. With a limited number of companies operating along the entire value chain, the recycle of textile waste to the product cycle is challenging.

While initial approaches emerge in recycling clothing, the process for technical textiles is more complicated due to the high variety of finishes and mixed materials.

The Circular Saxony network, aims to develop new approaches for a circular economy and researches other raw material alternatives.