From the Sector

Graphic: Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry

14.07.2026

Nominations Open for the 2027 IDEA® Achievement Awards

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, in collaboration with Nonwovens Industry Magazine, is now accepting nominations for the 2027 IDEA® Achievement Awards.

The IDEA Achievement Awards recognize outstanding innovations, technical advancements, and leadership across the nonwovens and engineered materials industry. Industry professionals are invited to submit their company’s most innovative products, materials, equipment, and sustainability advancements—or nominate innovations on behalf of their clients—for consideration.

Presented every three years in conjunction with IDEA®, the IDEA Achievement Awards honor breakthrough developments introduced since IDEA®25. Winners will be announced during IDEA®27, taking place March 23-25, 2027, at the Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

Award categories include:

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, in collaboration with Nonwovens Industry Magazine, is now accepting nominations for the 2027 IDEA® Achievement Awards.

Award categories include:

Raw Materials – Best new raw materials introduction
Nonwoven Product – Best new nonwoven fabric introduction
Short-Life – Best new short-life product introduction
Long-Life – Best new durable product introduction
Equipment – Best new equipment introduction
Sustainability Advancement – Recognizing sustainability and/or circularity advancements in raw materials, nonwoven fabrics, processes and equipment, and end-use products

Entries must be submitted by November 8, 2026. Finalists in each category will be selected by INDA’s Technical Advisory Board, with the top three entries in each category advancing to the final round. Industry professionals will then vote for the winners through the Nonwovens Industry website. The recipient of the Entrepreneur Award will be selected exclusively by Nonwovens Industry Magazine.

The 2025 IDEA Achievement Award winners were:

Equipment: Dilo Systems GmbH – MicroPunch
Raw Materials: Woolchemy NZ Ltd. – neweFibre
Short-Life Product: Egal Pads, Inc. – Pads on a Roll
Long-Life Product: Magnera – Sontara EcoRE Bag
Sustainability Advancement: Kindcloth – KINDCLOTH™ PURA HEALTH Insect Repellent – Water Dissolvable Wipes
Nonwoven Product: Innovatec Microfibre Technology GmbH & Co. KG – InnovaWipe® Water Soluble Nonwoven
Entrepreneur: Dude Products

IDEA27 will feature hundreds of exhibitors showcasing the latest innovations in nonwoven and fiber technologies. The RISE® Conference will be held in conjunction with IDEA27 and will feature scalable, demonstrated solutions designed to address complex technical challenges and pressing societal needs, from sustainability and circularity to healthcare, energy, and advanced manufacturing. IDEA27 attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in expert-led nonwoven short courses designed to expand industry knowledge and technical expertise.

More information:
IDEA INDA Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry IDEA Achievement Award

Source:

Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry

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12.07.2026

NCTO Mourns the Passing of Sen. Lindsey Graham

The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), spanning the entire spectrum of U.S. textiles from fiber to finished sewn products, issued a statement mourning the passing of Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and expressing sincere condolences to his family, staff, and the people of South Carolina.

“The U.S. textile industry is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, a dear friend and tireless advocate for our industry and workforce. To say this is a profound loss is an understatement. He was a personal friend to so many in our industry – walked through our plants, engaged with our workers – and never forgot where he came from. He was dubbed by many in Congress as the ‘textile Senator’ and he wore that label so very proudly and he earned every bit of it. Just last week, he pushed to try to advance two amendments to ensure that U.S. government uniforms are fully made in America. His advocacy on behalf of U.S. manufacturing and workers was a top priority, simply because it was a core belief of his. We want to extend our profound condolences to Senator Graham’s family and his incredible staff – who were his family – and to all those who knew and loved him. He will be greatly missed.”

More information:
National Council of Textile Organizations Lindsey Graham NCTO

Source:

National Council of Textile Organizations

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FILTREX™ India 2026 in New Delhi: Registration now open

Graphic Edana

08.07.2026

FILTREX™ India 2026 in New Delhi: Registration now open

EDANA, the voice of nonwovens, in partnership with the Business Coordination House (BCH), will welcome filtration professionals from across the world to FILTREX™ India 2026, taking place on 7–8 October 2026 at the Eros Hotel, New Delhi.

Recognised as one of the leading meeting points for the filtration industry in the region, FILTREX™ India brings together decision-makers, technical experts, researchers and innovators from across the entire filtration value chain. The two-day conference and tabletop exhibition will provide a platform to explore technological advances, market developments and the evolving regulatory landscape shaping the future of filtration.

Building on the success of previous editions, the 2026 conference will feature a comprehensive programme covering some of the industry's most pressing topics, including filtration standards and regulations in India, automotive filtration, industrial filtration, clean water and clean air. The event will also provide extensive networking opportunities, enabling participants to exchange knowledge, strengthen partnerships and discover new business opportunities.

The programme includes keynote presentations and technical sessions delivered by internationally recognised experts from leading organisations, including MANN+HUMMEL, Ahlstrom, Camfil, Hollingsworth & Vose, UY Trienviro and Schlegel und Partner. Topics will range from next-generation filtration materials and air quality solutions to wastewater recycling technologies and the implications of evolving European chemical compliance requirements for international markets.

"Launched in Europe in 2004, FILTREX™ has grown into a recognised international platform for knowledge exchange within the filtration industry," said Murat Dogru, General Manager at EDANA. "The Indian market continues to play an increasingly important role in the global filtration landscape, making FILTREX™ India an ideal forum for bringing together international expertise and local innovation to address shared challenges."

As global demand for effective filtration solutions continues to grow—driven by challenges related to air quality, water treatment, industrial processes and sustainable technologies—FILTREX™ India 2026 will offer participants valuable insights into the innovations and collaborations shaping the industry's future.

More information:
Edana Business Coordination House New Delhi Filtrex India Conference

Source:

Edana

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Grphic by Edana

02.07.2026

Associations on Single-Use Plastic Directive

The undersigned associations, representing several European industrial sectors, call on EU institutions to maintain the current legal text of the Single-Use Plastic Directive (SUPD), adopted in 2019. While the signatories recognise the importance of ensuring that the SUPD delivers measurable and meaningful environmental outcomes, reopening the Directive now will create legal uncertainty, add disproportionate burden for economic operators that are already navigating partial and often divergent national transpositions, and increase the risk of regulatory overlaps or contradictions with existing and upcoming legislation. Moreover, there is currently insufficient evidence on the effectiveness of the current SUPD to justify a revision, as described below:

Insufficient evidence to inform a revision of the SUPD.
An impact assessment of the SUPD cannot be carried out at a moment when several of its provisions are not yet in place. While a first report on the state of implementation of the SUPD was published in April 2026, it remains partial, and reporting is not harmonised, preventing meaningful comparison of data across countries. Taking the example of consumption reduction targets, Member States and other EEA countries only reported data on SUP products placed on the market in 2022 and, even for this report, did so using different indicators. Crucially, since the target on consumption reduction is set for 2026, no data are yet available on whether that target has been achieved. In summary, the partial application of the SUPD and the limited data available suggest that a revision of the SUPD would be premature at this time.
Preventing further fragmentation and gold-plating.
The transposition of the SUPD has produced significant regulatory fragmentation, uneven enforcement, and widespread instances of gold plating, creating persistent uncertainty for companies active across multiple Member States. The result is a patchwork of national rules that undermines the integrity of the Single Market, inflates compliance costs, and fails to deliver proportionate environmental benefits. These structural shortcomings must be fully recognised in the evaluation of the SUPD and effectively addressed prior to considering a reopening of the Directive.
Ensuring legal certainty for economic operators.
A revision of the SUPD would create legal uncertainty for companies and Member States that are still implementing several of its provisions. While the SUPD entered into force in mid-2021, the date of application for most of its provisions is at a later stage. Furthermore, the EU Commission has only recently adopted some of the implementing decisions and guidelines on the current SUPD. Any change to the SUPD at a moment when companies are still adapting to new obligations, and Member States are still in the process of implementing some key provisions, would create legal uncertainty for economic operators who do not know whether targets or the scope of the SUPD may change. Legal uncertainty carries significant economic costs for economic operators, notably in terms of investment delays likely to persist throughout the entire SUPD revision process (2–3 years).
Avoiding overlaps with other legislation.
Revising the SUPD while the Ecodesign and Packaging Regulations are still being implemented, and as negotiations on the Circular Economy Act (CEA) begin, increases the risk of regulatory overlaps and contradictions. These frameworks cover intersecting areas and a revision of the SUPD in parallel with the CEA would almost inevitably lead to duplicative or conflicting provisions. Even if the EU Commission ensured full coherence in its proposal, the co-legislators could still introduce provisions that diverge from or contradict the SUPD framework, further undermining legal certainty and the functioning of the Single Market.

At a time when EU leaders have made regulatory simplifications and a fully integrated Single Market central to Europe’s competitiveness agenda, we urge EU policymakers to focus legislative efforts where they are most needed and avoid reopening a framework that has yet to deliver concrete results.

More information:
Single-Use Plastic Directive Edana Euratex

Source:

Edana

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The second in-person meeting of the Skills4Circularity project took place in Izmir at the end of April. During the meeting, key foundations for the development of future training modules were established.

22.06.2026

IVGT joins EU project Skills4Circularity

New skills for the circular economy and digitalisation
Recycling, traceability, eco-design and digitalisation are among the key future challenges facing the European textile industry. The Erasmus+ project Skills4Circularity, involving 21 partners from twelve countries, is investigating the skills required to address these challenges.

Skills4Circularity is an Erasmus+ project involving 21 partners from twelve countries. The aim is to prepare the European textile industry for the challenges of the circular economy, recycling, traceability and digitalisation through new training programmes. The IVGT is participating as the German industry partner. The project runs from November 2025 to October 2029 and is developing, among other things, training modules, MOOCs, masterclasses and a European Textile Skills Observatory.

The aim of the project is to identify skills gaps and, building on these, to develop tailor-made training programmes for the circular textile economy. The project is based on a Europe-wide company survey involving 183 participants from twelve countries, 22 expert interviews, and an AI-supported analysis of 313 job advertisements across eleven countries. The results clearly show that the industry’s greatest challenges lie less in a lack of technology and more in a lack of skills. Knowledge of regulatory requirements, the circular economy, life cycle assessments (LCA), data management and process integration is particularly in demand. Traceability, material sorting and sustainable production processes also rank among the industry’s most important areas of expertise.

Sustainability requires systemic thinking
The analysis also highlights that whilst sustainability, the circular economy and technological innovation are recognised as strategic goals regardless of company size, their implementation often takes place incrementally and in isolation. In many cases, measures are not yet viewed as part of a holistic transformation strategy.

There are clear differences between company sizes in this regard. Large companies have extensive technological and organisational resources but face significant regulatory and transformational pressure. Medium-sized companies often drive the functional and sustainable development of textiles but are frequently constrained by economic conditions and customer requirements. Small enterprises score highly on flexibility but have only limited technological capacity. Micro-enterprises often operate as innovative niche providers but are particularly dependent on partnerships and stable market conditions.

A key finding of the research was that the greatest obstacles to implementing circular economy concepts do not stem from a lack of awareness of the issues. Rather, skills gaps, insufficient integration of processes across the entire product life cycle, a lack of data standards, and often inadequate coordination along the value chain are the decisive factors. There is a particularly acute need for specialist knowledge to translate the increasing EU regulations and sustainability requirements into operational practice.

The study also shows that recycling, eco-design and sustainable production are not yet sufficiently integrated within many companies. Furthermore, recycling processes are often outsourced and only considered at the end of the product life cycle. Although eco-design is increasingly being incorporated into product development, it is rarely firmly integrated into standardised development processes. Sustainable production measures often focus on resource efficiency and process optimisation without being systematically linked to circular strategies. As a result, potential for life-cycle-oriented optimisation of materials, products and processes often remains untapped.

Three training modules for the textile transformation
Based on the analysis results, Skills4Circularity is now developing three practice-oriented training modules on the topics of recycling technologies, eco-design for the circular economy and sustainable production.

The ‘Recycling Technologies’ module provides knowledge on legal requirements, material sorting and the processing of textile waste. The aim is to support companies in better structuring recycling processes and improving collaboration along the recycling value chain.

The “Eco-design for the Circular Economy” module focuses on regulatory requirements, life-cycle assessment and traceability systems. Participants will be equipped to systematically integrate circular design principles into product development and to establish the conditions for a functioning circular economy as early as the initial development phases.

The third module is dedicated to sustainable production. The focus is on resource-efficient and low-waste production processes, as well as the organisational embedding of sustainability goals within the company. In particular, the aim is to link production processes more closely with circular strategies and recycling approaches.

With these training programmes, Skills4Circularity aims to support the European textile industry in integrating the circular economy, digitalisation and sustainability more closely into operational practice. Continuing professional development thus becomes a key success factor for the transformation of the sector.

More information:
IVGT EU project Skills4Circularity Erasmus+

Source:

IVGT

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17.06.2026

Textile PRO Forum: Call for greater harmonisation of textile EPR systems across Europe

The Textile PRO Forum has published a new analysis highlighting the need for greater harmonisation of textile Extended Producer Responsibility systems across Europe. New analysis shows strong differences in registration, reporting and invoicing requirements for textile producers.

The document, Toward harmonised Textile EPR Systems in Europe: analysis and recommendations, presents the results of work carried out by Workstream 1 of the Textile PRO Forum, led by Dr. Eng. Viola Corbellini, Strategic Development and Innovation Expert at Erion Textiles, and Eng. Luca Campadello, General Director at Erion Textiles. The workstream focused on reducing administrative burden for textile producers by identifying areas where procedures could be better aligned across countries.

The analysis is based on input from 12 Producer Responsibility Organisations covering 11 countries. It compares how emerging and existing textile EPR systems deal with producer registration, reporting of products placed on the market, invoicing, payments, producer identification and the role of digital tools.

The findings show that textile EPR systems are developing at different speeds and with different operational models across Europe. Registration may take place through online portals, direct contact with PROs, public authority systems or mixed models. Reporting frequencies also vary significantly, ranging from annual to monthly declarations. Requirements for Placed on the Market data, product categories, reporting units and invoicing practices are not yet aligned.

This fragmentation risks creating additional administrative complexity for companies operating in several European markets, especially SMEs, cross-border sellers and online operators. It may also reduce data comparability and make enforcement more difficult.

The analysis identifies several priority areas for harmonisation, including a minimum common EU-aligned dataset for registration, more consistent reporting calendars, clearer rules on producer identification, simplified reporting options for small producers, predictable invoicing and payment rules, and interoperable digital systems.

The Textile PRO Forum stresses that harmonisation does not mean eliminating all national specificities. Rather, it means defining a common core of rules, data and processes on which coherent national systems can be built.

The findings will be discussed at next week’s Textile PRO Forum plenary meeting, where participating PROs will take stock of the work carried out so far and consider next steps towards practical guidance and recommendations.

“Textile EPR is becoming a reality across Europe, but implementation must be workable for producers and effective for authorities. This analysis shows that harmonisation is not an abstract policy goal; it is a practical necessity to reduce administrative burden, improve data quality and support a well-functioning Single Market” says Anais De Bergeyck, Policy Officer at EURATEX.

More information:
Textile PRO Forum European Apparel and Textile Confederation EURATEX Euratex Enhanced Producer Responsability

Source:

European Apparel and Textile Confederation EURATEX

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From the Sector

Nominations Open for the 2027 IDEA® Achievement Awards

NCTO Mourns the Passing of Sen. Lindsey Graham

FILTREX™ India 2026 in New Delhi: Registration now open

Associations on Single-Use Plastic Directive

IVGT joins EU project Skills4Circularity

Textile PRO Forum: Call for greater harmonisation of textile EPR systems across Europe