Clothing textiles

• Visits to trade fairs;
• statistics on sales and foreign trade;
  
• public markets;
  
• networking in the clothing industry;
  
• information sessions with Centexbel on technical issues and the circular economy;
  
• defending interests at European level via the industry organisations The Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp (linen) and EUROCOTON (cotton sector);
  
• Follow-up on specific issues such as origin, customs, labelling, sustainable trade, circular economy;
• etc

In the transition to a circular economy, the sector is working together with companies and also through e.g. Flanders Circular (Production Industry Work Agenda). After all, Belgian clothing textiles manufacturers are strongly committed to switching to more circular solutions, beginning with recycled fibres.

'Circular economy' is about more than just recycling, which is obviously an important element of it. But other aspects are certainly important for clothing textiles as well. These include life extension through proper use of materials or through proper maintenance, repair and reuse of clothing. Therefore, partnerships are of great importance with e.g. textiles maintenance companies or tailoring companies that handle the repair of garments or clothing fabrics.