Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1171848
TEXTILE TALK | EMILY WALZER he first time I heard the word "sustain- able" used in a professional context I had no idea what my editor was talking about. I'm not sure he did either, but being a smart guy with good story instincts he had "sustainable" on his radar. It was the late '90s and I was working at Snow Country magazine, a beautiful publica- tion and early proponent of the "outdoor lifestyle." Our afternoon edit meeting focused on homes built with emerging environmental architectural features like geo- thermal and solar heating and resource-saving systems. Because I had done a stint earlier in my career at House & Garden magazine, the article assignment fell in my lap. Sadly Snow Country is defunct, yet "sustainable" not only endures, it defines our daily lives. This is true in our textile world. The following pages are jam-packed with eco content encompassing key ini- tiatives like carbon reduction and progressive concepts around advancing recycling and regenerative farming. It's clear from our reporting that we're entering the next stage of climate-conscious corporate commitment. It is equally evident that it's going to take a collective effort to move the needle on sustainability going forward. Like the business sector, local communities are uniting to bring planet-positive change. Connecticut's new single bag tax kicked in on August 1st, charging retail customers 10 cents per single-use plastic bag and paper bag given out at checkout. In my home- town, the regulations are more stringent: In June, our Board of Selectman adopted an ordinance that eliminates all single-use plastic bags at retail starting January 2020. The fight for "trash-free" seas is also coming to my neighborhood. Volunteer efforts to "Clean Up the Beach" will coordinate with International Coastal Cleanup Day and Source to Sea Cleanup. Collecting data is critical to this endeavor to help track if soci- etal changes – like banning plastic – is having an impact. Which brings me to the "blue-green economy," a phrase surfacing in the lexicon much like "sustain- able" 20 years ago. Bren Smith, a regenerative ocean farmer growing seaweed a few miles down the coast from my town, explains the concept as bridging the border between seas and land to offer opportunity for deep change. "In my business the spot where sea meets land is known as 'sweet water' because it's the most productive area," says Smith. Supporting a blue- green economy benefits all involved, from farmers and fisherman, to textile makers and material devel- opers, to you and me, and everyone seeking ways to restore the health of our amazing planet. l Emily Sustainable Measures Shaping our Every Day 4 • Textile Insight ~ September/October 2019 textileinsight.com Like the business sector, local communities are uniting to bring planet- positive change. T T e x t i l e - B a s e d P r o d u c t S o l u t i o n s GREAT TEXTILES FOR THE GOOD OF OUR PLANET Concept III not only sources some of the best performance textiles on the planet, we also help develop some of the world's most sustainable fabrics. That's because we carefully select our partners, collaborating only with premier mills committed to eco-friendly production practices. Let Concept III source and develop the advanced textiles you've been looking for. Find us at both: • FUNCTIONAL FABRIC FAIR Portland— powered by PERFORMANCE DAYS ® | Oct. 22-23 | Booth 614 • PERFORMANCE DAYS in Munich | Nov. 13-14 Booth J12, Hall C1 conceptiii.com