Paul: In the field of technical textiles, our sustainable collection also includes performance fabrics made from recycled polyamide from pre- and post-consumer material as well as in combination with organic cotton. For example, post-consumer car tyres are reprocessed in a chemical process as raw material for polyamide production. To be honest, it has to be said that there are only a few market-ready alternatives for synthetic yarns so far. There will be some new developments in the next few years.

Paul: Sustainability encompasses several areas - the social and the ecological aspect, as well as sustainable corporate management. In order to produce a sustainable fabric, Getzner Textil focuses on people as well as the environment. Innovative projects have been implemented for decades, such as the installation of a district heating network in 2001, which has since supplied numerous public buildings in the surrounding area with heat. The company's own hydroelectric power plants cover over 90 percent of Getzner Textil AG's electricity requirements. In addition, our modern lye recovery plant enables resource-saving production and a saving of around 70 percent in the lye used.

Paul: Recycling technologies for upcycling textiles are currently still limited. In the future, however, the possibility of a circular economy will become an essential customer requirement for textile manufacturers. There is potential here, for example, in the collection and sorting of textile waste. Already now, some of our textile waste can be recycled. We are currently building partnerships for future upcycling. In addition, we must continue to search for sustainable alternatives that reduce our dependence on crude oil as a raw material and enable resource-saving production. We at Getzner Textil are part of this development and are actively shaping the sustainable turnaround in the textile industry.

Barbara Paul coordinates development projects in the areas of sustainability and circular economy.