Sympatex makes use of the holistic trade fair concept of Performance Days

Sustainable innovations in the textile and footwear segment

From 4 – 5 October 2023, membrane manufacturer Sympatex invites you to Performance Days Munich. The brand is using the new trade fair concept to showcase innovations in both the textile and footwear sectors (Textile booth: Hall A6, Stand B10 ; Footwear booth: Hall A5, Stand S06).

The ecological footprint of a garment depends very much on the choice of material. Membrane manufacturer Sympatex is convinced of this and is therefore expanding its product portfolio every year to include laminates made from fibre2fiber recycling. Sympatex invites visitors to its two trade fair stands to see what adjustments are already possible today to reduce the impact on the planet.

Interesting for everyone, because the entire textile and outdoor industry is called upon to reduce its footprint immensely within the next few years.

“A circular economy is the most effective solution for reducing the ecological footprint, along with product longevity, conscious consumption and, of course, the elimination of certain chemicals such as PFAS,” says Dr. Rüdiger Fox, CEO of Sympatex.

“Our focus here is on polyester. As a fibre, polyester has many advantages. Polyester fabrics are very durable and can be recycled in a closed-loop system.  The production of polyester, especially recycled polyester, uses less water than many other fibres, and by working closely with our suppliers we can ensure that production is done in the most sustainable way possible,” Dr. Fox adds.

At the same time, a circular economy only works if everyone participates. The implementation is complex. Companies that previously acted separately from each other must now cooperate. Sympatex is demonstrating that this is possible in various pilot projects. The membrane manufacturer has been working for years to drive change in the industry. For example, Sympatex is explicitly dedicated to the topics of design-to-recycle, digitalisation, recyclability through monomaterial, the development of a product portfolio based on recycled textiles, water and CO2 savings and the use of bio-based contents.

“We strive for innovation projects, cooperation and trend-setting collaborations that ideally accelerate our efforts towards a circular economy. This year’s motto of the fair “From Membranes to Carbon Story” is certainly particularly exciting for us.  Now that the use of PFAS is finally banned. We cordially invite you to join us in the exchange. It is particularly wonderful that we can show our expertise in both segments, textiles and footwear, this year”, says Kim Scholze, CSMO Sympatex.

Performance Days Munich offers an ideal platform for industry experts, brands and retailers to network and collaborate. Sympatex welcomes all participants to engage in meaningful discussions about the future of sustainable performance apparel.

“Choosing the right ingredients is vital for successful recycling,” explains Lisa Polk, Circularity Expert at Sympatex.

That is why Sympatex has developed an Eco Design Guide to pass on this knowledge to all brand partners.

Performance Days Munich is the place to be for designers, product, sourcing and material managers interested in the latest trends and innovations in the textile – and footwear industry. The Performance Days always coincide with the seasonal sourcing schedules in April / May and October / November, offering sustainable fabrics for sportswear, workwear, sporting event and athleisure collections. Free entry for trade fair visitors.

 

About Sympatex 

Re>Closing the loop. Together. By incorporating a climate-neutral and recyclable Sympatex membrane.

100 billion garments and 23 billion pairs of shoes produced p.a. represent Sympatex‘s future source of new raw material, once they‘ve reached their end of life. The intelligent Sympatex membrane has been used in clothing, shoes, accessories and technical applications since 1986 and guarantees being 100% waterproof, windproof and breathable – in accordance with the performance standard. Intelligent? The membrane develops proportionally increasing breathability at higher activity. New and far above standard is that Sympatex produces functional textiles from recycled and recyclable monomaterials. Sympatex will no longer use new materials from the oil industry in the future. Instead, used textiles are transformed into new, high-quality membranes, laminates and functional textiles. Sympatex is working with selected brand partners worldwide to close the textile cycle together.