Frankfurt am Main, 15 April 2025. With the new “Texpertise Econogy Insights”,
Messe Frankfurt’s textile trade fairs are shining a spotlight on five core issues
facing the textile and clothing industry as it undergoes a transformation targeted at
greater sustainability. These key themes are based on the results of the
sustainability check offered to exhibiting companies as part of the Texpertise
Econogy textile sustainability programme and conversations with international
textile experts.
Textile waste equivalent in volume to 370,000 fully-loaded Airbus aircraft, a recycling rate
of one per cent and 99.7 per cent of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises: the
textile and clothing industry is not just a world of superlative figures, but also an industry
with one of the most complex supply chains in the world. Where the industry stands in
terms of sustainability and what drivers and obstacles are playing a role in its
transformation is the focus of the report “Texpertise Econogy Insights – five central
developments for a more sustainable textile industry”, published today by Texpertise, a
network of more than 60 Messe Frankfurt textile events in 13 countries.
“Transformation requires cooperation. The international textile events by Messe Frankfurt
serve as key hubs for change in this process. With the international sustainability
programme Texpertise Econogy, we are making developments for a more sustainable
industry tangible, connecting green pioneers with companies and creating hotspots for
knowledge and networking,” says Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles and Textile
Technologies at Messe Frankfurt.
Together with renowned experts from textile research, business and associations, Messe
Frankfurt analyses five key themes for the sustainable transformation of the international
textile and clothing industry: the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as an
international benchmark for responsible corporate behaviour, transparency and
traceability in global supply chains as well as the advantages and disadvantages of
natural fibres, synthetic fibres and regenerated fibres in terms of their environmental
compatibility and functionality. It also evaluates environmentally friendly process
standards and innovative approaches to textile recycling. Among those interviewed for the
report were representatives from Aalto University; Euratex; Fashion for Good; Hohenstein
Group; IKEA; Industrial Association for Finishing, Yarns, Woven Fabrics and Technical
Textiles (IVGT); Oberbadische Bettfedernfabrik (OBB); Saxon Textile Research Institute
(STFI); United Nations Fashion and Lifestyle Network; VDMA Textile Care, Fabrics and
Leather Technologies; German Association of Home Textiles Manufacturers and the
Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy.
These themes are derived from the results of the Texpertise Econogy Checks, the
sustainability check that exhibiting companies can now undergo at 24 of the more than 60
Messe Frankfurt textile events across the world. The check evaluates companies against
a set of international sustainability standards in the areas of Sustainable Supply Chain,
Materials and Processes as well as Strategy and Innovation. During the period from
January 2024 to January 2025, a total of 820 companies at 17 events in Germany,
France, the USA and China completed the Econogy Check.
An ongoing commitment to greater sustainability
Since 2008, Messe Frankfurt has played an active role in promoting sustainability within
the global textile and fashion industry. At its international textile fairs, it developed curation
tools for textile sustainability early on, as well as creating special areas for sustainable
textile innovations and integrating sustainability themes into its fringe programmes. At the
end of 2023, Messe Frankfurt grouped all the sustainability-related activities at its
international textile events under one communications umbrella: Texpertise Econogy. The
aim of this is to ensure greater visibility for sustainable textile innovations, offer better
orientation in a world of increasingly complex sustainability developments and promote
knowledge transfer and cooperation within the international textile industry insofar as
sustainable transformation is concerned. Since it was launched, Texpertise Econogy has
been rolled out to 24 of the approximately 60 Texpertise events across the world.
Messe Frankfurt Texpertise
With a portfolio of more than 60 international textile trade fairs in 13 countries, Messe
Frankfurt is the global market leader for textile trade fairs. The trade fair portfolio spans
the entire textile industry value chain: Texpertise brings together these events, current
issues and a global network of more than 500,000 industry representatives from all over
the world. As a central communication platform, Texpertise provides information on the
world-renowned trade fair brands and the first-class services offered by Messe Frankfurt.