First-ever International Textile Recycling Summit to be held in Miami, FL on 2 June 2014

For the first time, the Bureau of International Recycling’s (BIR) Textiles Division, the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association (SMART), and the Council for Textile Recycling (CTR) will co-organize an International Textile Recycling Summit on Monday, June 2, 2014 in conjunction with the Bureau of International Recycling‘s  World Recycling Convention at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami, Florida. 

The International Textile Recycling Summit (ITRS) is the first-ever event where all of the major stakeholders in the international textile recycling industry will gather to discuss industry trends, concerns, and emerging markets. The tentative agenda includes educational programs from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm followed by a networking reception.  All members of BIR, SMART and CTR are invited to attend this program.

The ITRS will bring together at an international level for-profit textile recycling companies, non-profit organizations involved in textile recycling, apparel manufacturers, representatives from academia, and governmental agencies, all of which are focused on recycling, especially used clothing and textiles. 

As additional information becomes available it will be posted on BIR, SMART and CTR websites. Members of BIR, SMART and CTR are encouraged to save the date for the ITRS on Monday, June 2, 2014 and to make plans to attend.

About

• Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) is the international trade association of the recycling industries. Over 70 countries are represented through their national trade associations and individual companies which are involved in recycling. BIR comprises four commodity divisions: iron and steel, non-ferrous metals, paper and textiles, and has three commodity committees dealing with stainless steel and special alloys, plastics and tyres/rubber. BIR’s primary goals are to promote recycling and recyclability, thereby conserving natural resources, protecting the environment and facilitating free trade of secondary raw materials. More detailed information on the organization can be found on www.bir.org  or by writing to bir@bir.org.

• Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles (SMART) is an international nonprofit trade association that strengthens the economic opportunities of its diverse membership by promoting the interdependence of our industry segments and providing a common forum for networking, education and trade. Since 1932, SMART has been at the forefront of recycling. SMART members use and convert recycled and secondary materials from used clothing, commercial laundries and non-woven, off spec material, new mill ends and paper from around the world. SMART member companies create thousands of jobs worldwide. SMART members prove each day that you can make money by being socially responsible. For additional information on SMART, visit the association’s website at www.SMARTasn.org.  The following link will take you directly to informational videos on textile recycling http://www.smartasn.org/about/videos.cfm.  For information about joining SMART, email smartinfo@kingmgmt.org and include ITRS1 in Subject Line.

• The Council for Textile Recycling (CTR) is the United States leading 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to raising public awareness about the importance of textile recycling and the need to reduce the amount of used clothing and other post-consumer textile waste (PCTW ) being sent to our nation's landfills. The Council's Membership and Board of Directors reflects a broad base of stakeholders with representatives from charities, private sector recyclers, apparel, footwear and home textile brands and retailers Other stakeholders include consumers, academics, and government and nonprofit recycling groups.  The CTR provides the industry’s most innovative approach to generically advocate for donation and recycling while providing a space for producers and end users of pctw to problem solve.  The Council's goal is to achieve zero textile waste going to landfills by 2037.For additional information on CTR, visit the association’s website at www.weardonaterecycle.org.