The currents of our time bring the topic “sustainability” to the 47th Man-made Fibers Congress.

Global mega-trends such as the depletion of resources by a growing world population and rising affluence with resulting price increases for energy and raw materials make sustainability a topic everybody talks about. Global warming as a result of increased fossil fuel utilization has added further urgency to the demands made on governments and industries.

This year’s congress will show that the European and global man-made fiber industry actively works on many of the related issues and concerns. Clothing after all is an essential primary human need, along with food and health. Our industry can and will contribute to keeping our planet Earth a habitable place worth living on.

Assessments of the life cycles of various man-made fibers suggest that these industrial products are wrongly portrayed as ecologically inferior. They actually are superior to natural fibers in many respects, such as favourable water consumption rates and no or little pressure on agricultural land for food production.

But these are not laurels to rest on: sustainability is not a state but the dynamic development of a concept. The 47th Man-made Fibers Congress at Dornbirn should bring lively discussion on the many aspects of the topic “sustainability” and pooling of ideas on innovative ways and means to keep and make this planet habitable and liveable.

Fur further information please visit the MFC website: www.dornbirn-mfc.com