We are truly honored that our founder, Marina Chahboune, was invited to speak at Pakistan’s 2nd National Conference on Recycling in Textiles (KnowTex) held last week on the 9th of October 2024 in Faisalabad. This inspiring event, hosted by the National Textile University (NTU), brought together over 30 speakers and approximately 250 participants. The conference was supported by Northumbria University, Reverse Resources, Texonomy, The SMEP Programme & IE Pakistan. The conference focused on promoting sustainable and innovative practices in textiles. Key discussions revolved around advancements in textile recycling, improving traceability and transparency of textile waste, establishing effective regulatory frameworks, and recognizing the vital role of key stakeholders in enhancing efficiency in recycling processes.
The various panels highlighted the integration of sustainable natural fibers, innovations in textile processes, and strategies for boosting value-added exports from Pakistan. CLF’s presentation, titled “Collaboratively Building Localised Circular Supply Chains,” offered valuable insights into how we are implementing best practices across Asia to promote circularity. Several ongoing key initiatives were presented and elaborated, including:
- Assessing post-industrial textile waste flows to identify gaps and opportunities for developing circular business models.
- Establishing standardised waste management systems in factories to make textile waste easily accessible for recycling.
- Building strategic partnerships with stakeholders to enable circular supply chains.
- Developing closed-loop material cycles by embedding waste management practices, ensuring that textile waste is recycled into new products.
During her presentation, Marina Chahboune highlighted the significant challenges facing Pakistan’s textile industry due to climate change and environmental risks. As the 5th most vulnerable country in the Global Climate Risk Index, Pakistan’s textile sector, which employs around 25 million people, is under increasing threat. A future with 90% of the population potentially exposed to climate hazards and annual floods and droughts jeopardising the country’s cotton cultivation is a pressing concern, as well as the issue of water scarcity.
Despite these challenges, Pakistan possesses unique strengths that can be leveraged to transition toward circular supply chains. The country’s high volumes of cotton-rich post-industrial waste, vertically integrated infrastructure, and 5% share of global spinning capacity position it well for this shift. Existing systems for managing post-consumer and post-industrial waste are promising, yet improvements in formalising waste collection and ensuring compliance with social and environmental standards are necessary for the change to take place.
Building circular integrated supply chains presents a robust business case for Pakistan. By establishing efficient waste recovery systems to reclaim textile waste as feedstock, the industry can mitigate risks and future-proof its operations. Shifting to recycled fibers will not only ensure a stable supply of raw materials but also reduce reliance on critical inputs such as water and energy. Additionally, Pakistan’s large-scale availability of cotton-rich post-industrial waste makes it well-suited to meet the growing global demand for recycled content, enabling it to become a leader in circular textile solutions.
We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the KnowTex Conference organisers for providing such an inspiring platform for exchange and collaboration. Closed Loop Fashion is excited about the opportunities for future partnerships in Pakistan and looks forward to working together to advance a more sustainable, circular textile industry.
