In the field of textile sustainability, we all spend a lot of time talking and reading about interesting and new preferred (more sustainable) fibers and materials, but how often do we get the chance to see and feel them up close?

The Preferred Fiber and Materials (PFM) Hands-On Lab offered participants of Textile Exchange’s PFM Round Table meetings in Washington D.C. on October 12, 2017, a “show and tell” experience of a range of preferred fibers and materials at various stages of production. From the latest innovations to unique and wonderful natural fibers, the Lab focused on the social and environmental considerations of these materials, showcasing some great new projects and ideas alongside the fibers themselves.

The official launch of the Lab took place at 6:15pm on Wednesday Oct 11, where participants caught a sneak preview of what was on show before hearing from innovators WestPoint Home (sponsors of the Lab’s very own “eco lounge”), EILEEN FISHER, H&M Foundation, Vegea, evrnu and Recover, who lifted the lid on their innovation methods and how they network to stay ahead of the curve.

Featured Companies:

Anandi | Aquafil | Aratex | biov8tion | BrightLabel | C&A | Circle Economy | Coyuchi | Cyberknit | Dibella | DuPont™ Sorona® | ECOALF | Egedeniz | EILEEN FISHER | Esquel | Ethicus | evrnu | Far Eastern New Century | H&M | Himalayan Wild Fibers | Intrinsic Textiles Group | Justa Trama | Lenzing | Mayamiko | MetaWear | Mushroom Leather | Natural Cotton Colours | Natural Fashion | Orange Fiber | Organic Cotton Colors | Outerknown | Pano Social | Patagonia | Plastics For Change | Pratibha Syntex | Punarbhavaa Sustainable Products | Re:newcell | re:sustain | Recover (Hilaturas Ferre S.A.) | REvolve Waste, LLC. | SmartFarming | Stella McCartney | Tchibo | Thread International | Tierra | The North Face | Timberland | Texas Organic Cotton Marketing Cooperative | Unifi/ Repreve | Vegea | VEJA | WestPoint Home

Organic value chains are hotbeds of new ideas and innovation. At Textile Exchange’s annual Organic Cotton Round Table (OCRT) meeting, we showcase these ideas and reward the best of them through the OCRT Innovation Award.

The Award aims to seek out groups or individuals with innovative solutions to break through barriers to growth and discover new ways for the organic cotton community to flourish – from producer to consumer. Each year, shortlisted innovators from around the world have 3 minutes to pitch their idea (in-person or via video link) to a panel of distinguished judges, and the winning idea receives a cash prize and priceless publicity to help progress their idea.

Launched in collaboration with Change Agency at the OCRT in Mumbai in 2015, the Innovation Award has become an established and much anticipated part of the OCRT agenda.

“Winning the OCRT Innovation Award means a lot to us as it is an important recognition for our work in breaking the taboo of menstruation and educating women about organic and sustainable feminine hygiene. We are convinced that with the support of the OCRT community we can give strawberry week another significant boost and reach even more women globally. Our plan is to strengthen existing relationships as well as to find new partners in order to collectively address the topic of menstrual health management because we believe it is time for a new generation of feminine hygiene!”

– Bettina Steinbrugger, Erdbeerwoche (2016 winner)

“In the next five years, Pratibha plans to connect 300 villages to create an awakened ‘scientist’ in each farmer. Through participatory methods, the program aims to encourage solutions that are generated from within the community. Skill development projects in organic cotton farming are also on the anvil. This will result in continuous improvements in agriculture, rapid adoption of sustainable means and holistic growth of the community.”

– Shreyaskar Chaudhary, Pratibha Syntex (2015 winner)

“The OCRT Innovation Award is a fantastic initiative to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in sustainable textiles and we are proud to have participated and won second prize. There is never a better time for this initiative than now as there is real momentum across various stakeholders who are finding creative ways of reducing the negative impact on natural resources. It’s great that the Innovation lab brings them together and provides a platform to share and promote the idea with like- minded businesses. It incentivizes innovators who, otherwise, are often left on their own.”

– Sreeranga Rajan, Dibella (2015 runner-up)

A BIG thank you to all those that are collaborating with us on the inaugural Preferred Fiber & Materials Hands-On Lab!
Interested in collaborating? Click here to see the opportunities available and their associated benefits. 

Supporter of the
PFM Hands-On Lab

Hands-On Lab Hanger Sponsor

Hands-On Lab Eco-Lounge Sponsor

Partner of the
OCRT Innovation Award 2017

Partner of the
OCRT Innovation Award 2017

Supporter of the
OCRT Innovation
Award 2017