Spanish Textile Group Nextil, owner of the stretch fabric manufacturer Dogi and knitwear specialist Treiss, is to sponsor the Re-Barcelona sustainable and ethical fashion forum. “The textile industry contributes 10 percent to the emission of greenhouse gases,” explains Manuel Martos, Nextil’s CEO. “In addition, the fashion sector is responsible for 20 percent of water expenditure and textile dyes are the second largest cause of water pollution globally, after agriculture. Therefore, there is still much to be done and Re-Barcelona is a good starting point for promoting more sustainable activities and practices in the textile industry”.
For its part, Nextil says it has developed Greendyes, a new natural dyeing process based on natural, non-polluting pigments and additives, with low energy and water consumption, and similar behavior to traditional chemical dyeing, by means of a more efficient and environmentally friendly process.
In addition, Nextil is working to completely eliminate from its fabrics and garments certain chemical components potentially harmful to health before 2020, as a result of an agreement with ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals), which has drawn up a list of restricted substances in the production of the textile and footwear industry. Nextil has invested in all its production facilities and reviewed its manufacturing processes to achieve ZDHC certification in all its factories.
Organized by the Sustainable Fashion Barcelona organisation and promoted by Barcelona City Council, Re-Barcelona takes place in Barcelona on 29 and 30 November. With two large spaces, one aimed at professionals, the Summit, and another open to the public, the Open Space, it is hoped that the international event will bring together a range of initiatives that are committed to the creation, production and marketing of sustainable fashion. At the same time, the forum hopes to raise awareness in both the fashion industry and society and to launch a permanent think tank on ethical and sustainable fashion.
