The TTNA's annual conference was held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, on Thursday 13th November 2008.

SUSTAIN-TEX... environmental solutions
Photographs from Sustain-tex are available here.

Environmentally & Economically Sustainable Manufacturing: The Australian technical textiles and nonwovens industry has embraced many strategies which reduce water and power usage, prevent chemicals polluting the surrounding ecosystem and reduce waste. Decisions are being made early in the product development phase that eliminate, avoid or reduce downstream environmental impacts. In recognition that sustainable manufacturing in Australia is dependent upon creating an internationally competitive manufacturing industry and attracting the next generation of manufacturing technologies to Australia, the TTNA is therefore calling for presentations and papers on sustainable manufacturing technologies and processes.

Environmentally & Economically Sustainable Products: Technical and nonwoven textiles are manufactured into advanced materials, engineered for many functions that make an important contribution to the protection of our environment. Solutions that technical textiles and nonwovens can provide in reducing global warming and environmental pollution will be eagerly accepted by the broader global market well into the future. The TTNA is therefore calling for papers on technical and nonwoven textiles products and processes that either currently provide an environmental solution or hold that promise for the future.

SUSTAIN-TEX will bring together international and local speakers and attract senior decision-makers and staff from all areas of the technical and nonwoven textiles industry, including fabricators, suppliers, educationalists and research/development organisations. The TTNA Annual Conference is known in the industry to be the ideal forum at which new business relationships are either conceived or further developed.

Background to the Conference

The technical textiles and nonwovens industry manufactures innovative, advanced materials that are engineered to contribute to an ecologically sustainable future. Some examples are:

Filtration for drinking water and the treatment of domestic and industrial effluent; air purification and the reduction of industrial emissions and groundwater contamination;

Geotextiles for use in erosion control, ground and storm water management, soil stabilising and revegetation;

Smart textiles that react to outside stimuli to solve a problem without human intervention;

Covers to reduce water evaporation on water storages and channels;

Light weight, recyclable materials in the automotive industry that reduce the weight of the car and therefore its fuel consumption, emissions and noise;

Latest generation nets in the aquaculture industry that negate the use of chemical contaminants, improving fish health and yield in our oceans.

And the list goes on...

Environmentally & Economically Sustainable Manufacturing

The Australian technical textiles and nonwovens industry has embraced manufacturing strategies that avoid, reduce or eliminate downstream environmental impacts, with the final product having the following attributes:

All processes are safe for humans and the natural environment in all phases of the product life cycle;

All energy, material and process inputs come from renewable or recycled sources;

All materials are capable of returning safely to either natural systems or industrial systems;

All stages in the product life cycle actively support the reuse or recycling of these materials at the highest
possible level of quality, and

All products contribute to our quality of life, health & well being.

SUSTAIN-TEX will feature presentations and papers which focus on technical textile and nonwoven developments that contribute to environmental solutions. It will give industry leaders an opportunity to review the latest research, product innovations and market applications for technical textiles and nonwoven technologies.

By attending SUSTAIN-TEX, you will come away with a firm grasp of how innovative manufacturing techniques and applications for sustainable, environmental solutions are essential markers against climate change, You will attain critical insight into how leading manufacturers and researchers are overcoming traditional methods and certainly reshaping the way the textiles industry is viewed in Australia.

Please consider the environment before printing this document