BRUSSELS — May 6, 2025 — The Textiles Recycling Expo held a press conference earlier this week at the Press Club Brussels, drawing participation from key industry associations, sustainability leaders, and EU policy stakeholders ahead of the in-person event on June 4-5, 2025, at Brussels Expo, Belgium.
The press conference marked a major milestone in the lead-up to the event, with speakers highlighting both the challenges and opportunities facing Europe’s textile industry as it transitions toward a circular economy. Zied Chetoui, Event manager stated: “As regulation evolves, particularly here in Europe, the industry must act to implement innovative solutions, and this is precisely why the Textiles Recycling Expo was created.”
In coverage by Materials Recycling World (MRW), the conference was framed as a timely response to a “supply crisis” in post-consumer textiles.
Also summarized by Ecotextile News, Robert van der Kerkhof, CEO of ReHubs, told the press conference: “It really is a new platform, where people can connect, where education can happen, but also — very importantly — be the inspiration for new investments and technologies for the future.
“Speakers will come from government bodies, policy leaders, industry experts, academia, innovators, but also the brands, because it’s these companies that actually shape the textile-to-textile recycling future.”
The Brussels Times noted that the industry is at a pivotal moment, stating that “Europe’s textile industry is set to weave a common strategy together” through collaboration, innovation, and regulation. This aligns with the expo’s core purpose — to provide a unified platform for decision-makers and operational leaders to accelerate scalable, circular solutions for textiles.
Julia Ettinger, secretary general from EuRIC, said: “I think the event comes at a really crucial time for the textile sector and also for Europe’s broader efforts to move towards the circular economy that we have been talking about for many, many years.
“We need to amplify the voices of the European textile reuse operating sector, as well as the recycling sector. We need to share practical know-how and build momentum for European policies that can unlock the full potential of the textile sector and address the unprecedented crisis that we are facing.”
Karla Basselier, CEO of Fedustria, agreed: “The Textile Recycling Expo in Belgium comes at a crucial moment for our industry.
“It will offer a platform to accelerate the shift towards a more circular economy. And whilst we all believe that our industries are constantly innovating, we also have to face some facts, only a percentage of all textiles are currently recycled.”
Dirk Vantyghem, director general of EURATEX, said: “Our mandate is to represent the entire European textile ecosystem, which is around 200,000 companies in the EU generating 170 billion euros ($192 billion).
“For us, the big question is how do we reconcile sustainability and competitiveness. How do we push our companies towards reducing their footprint, being more sustainable while at the same time remaining competitive in this textile industry?”
Registration for the event is free and available via the link. Visit www.textilesrecyclingexpo.com to view the growing exhibitor list, the free-to-attend conference, and many more features. View the full press conference here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWR_FjpuEE8&t=432s
Textiles Recycling Expo | 4-5 June | Brussels, Belgium
Posted: May 9, 2025
Source: AMI
