Record-breaking attendance was seen at the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association (SMART) 2023 Annual Convention in Dubai, where nearly 200 industry leaders from 14 different countries participated.
These participants included people from India, the UAE and Pakistan. SMART is the leading industry voice promoting high standards and best practices for reuse and recycling of textiles and related secondary materials.
A critical component of the industry’s success is international trade. Around 1.4 billion pounds of used clothing which make for over 60 per cent of recovered textile waste is sent abroad to more than 100 countries.
According to Allied Marketing Research, the global textile recycling market is anticipated to generate nearly US $ 9.4 billion by 2027.
SMART’s President Steve Rees from Wipeco Industries explained, “Our members’ commitment to supplying multiple market segments in countless geographical areas, speaks to the intrinsic global value that reusing and recycling textiles has. As our trade association continues to grow, we are connecting members to new markets and working to reduce the global textile waste crisis.”
SMART is continuously working to educate the public and local government officials about the importance of increasing clothing and textile reuse and recycling. The benefit of these educational outreach efforts is gaining momentum throughout the nation, including programs in New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and most recently, California.
