The Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI) is pushing the upcycling of textiles and yarns to close the loop in the industry.
Celia Elumba, director of the said at a Textile Stakeholders Conference recently that closing the loop in fashion is the future, referring to the value chain of textile and apparel sector, from harvesting natural fibers to re-wearing what is discarded.
According to Elumba, this entails more than recycling as it requires putting value on what could be re-used, leaving less carbon footprints behind.
She said this is also part of a broader vision that includes engineered, “smart” and digital printing textiles.
One key interest, for example, is the documentation and digitization of weave patterns for archiving. Computerized loom at the PTRI will use the digitalize patterns for designers and weavers to use.
Neo-ethnic textiles will be promoted as contemporary interpretations of traditional textiles that make use of new technologies, materials and design applications generated by PTRI.
The aspiration is to make textile that is distinctly Filipino, to go from niche to mainstream, to new material developments, to the next generation of extracting natural fibers, Elumba said.
The raw materials are abundant: pina, abaca, pineapple, water hyacinth, banana, kenaf, ramie and even bamboo.
PTRI has increased the required 5 percent natural textile fiber in Philippine textile fabric to 20 percent to 35 percent — even up to 60 percent in new experimental developments.
The aim is for the industry to be a global player with a Filipino branding that is culture-sensitive, based on Filipino knowledge and using local raw materials, Elumba said, adding that highly skilled, it will supply a growing market, here and abroad.
