Congress on Circular Economy in the textile sector

This was a question, that MOVECO asked the audience of a congress in Linz. Among the audience, there were also two school classes present. Repair, upcycle and reuse – these are examples for Circular Economy solutions in the context of the textile sector. Leasing clothes would be another option and is already available across different online platforms.

On September 26, 2017, the Upper Austrian Environmental Congress (Oberösterreichischer Umweltkongress 2017) took place in Linz/Austria. The event addressed current developments in the textile industry and presented innovative approaches to close textile loops. The congress was a good mixture of thematic presentations in the morning and practical sessions in the afternoon.

The textile industry shows very well, how linear the consumption patterns of our ‘throwaway society’ are. On the one hand, the textile production is linked to environmental and social impacts. On the other hand, the lifetime of clothing and shoes is relatively short – even though there are numerous possibilities to repair or extend the use. Ask your grandparents and they will tell you that shoes and clothing can be worn almost endlessly – if you bring it to a cobbler or tailor from time to time.

MOVECO’s first staff exchange

Besides the Circular Economy subject, the congress was a suitable occasion for MOVECO’s first staff exchange. In the course of the project, in total 16 staff exchanges will be organised, involving each project partner. The goal is to learn more about the problems and opportunities present in the different countries and regions. This time, the Bavarian Research Alliance (BayFOR) from Munich/Germany visited the partners from Business Upper Austria (Biz-up) in Linz/Austria. The objective of the staff exchange was to learn more about Circular Economy in Austria.

During the congress, BayFOR and Biz-up took the opportunity to display a first prototype of MOVECO’s mobile exhibition on Circular Economy in the Danube region. Moreover, during a session, the MOVECO project was presented to the audience. More information on the mobile exhibition will follow very soon…

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(Photo credits: MOVECO project)