Circular Economy Featured at iTechStyle Summit

Change minds and thinking of environmental and corporate responsibility as a business model were among the topics discussed on the last day of iTechStyle Summit 2019.

52 speakers from 15 countries, divided by 10 panels and almost 700 participants from 25 countries were some of the iTechStyle Summit numbers for 2019.

After megatrends, industry 4.0, among other topics, the last day of the iTechStyle Summit was dedicated to sustainability and the circular economy.

More than a trend, sustainability is increasingly a new business model for companies. Proof of this is VF Corp., the company that owns brands such as Timberland, Vans and The North Face.

"Sustainability and corporate social responsibility are important to VF and this has become a business strategy," said Anna Maria Rugarli, senior director of sustainability and responsibility for the EMEA region of the US company, which earned 11.8 billion dollars by 2017.
"Millennials are very concerned about environmental issues and are more open to buying sustainable articles from sustainable companies," he said, adding that this is "an opportunity" for companies to become leaders.

The circular economy became "inevitable," said Maria José Carvalho, responsible for Citeve's agenda for sustainability and circular economy. «The Portuguese navigators are searching for new paths. Now we have this challenge of looking for new routes to the textile industry, "he said. Despite the examples that already exist, notably that of VF Corp, we need to be aware of the challenges as well as the opportunities.

Source: Portugal Têxtil