The inter-cluster textile/packaging day took place within the framework of the Texsospack project, coordinated by Tèxtils.CAT and the Packaging Cluster, in collaboration with the LEITAT technological center and supported by the Catalonia Waste Agency through the “Promotion of the Circular Economy” funding program.
The objective of the event, held at the CECOT headquarters in Terrassa and attended by 12 companies from both clusters, was to understand and address the challenges faced by companies in the advanced textile materials sector regarding packaging.
The session was opened by Dr. Marta Casadesús, Project Manager of Tèxtils.CAT, who presented the Texsospack project and the actions already undertaken, such as the publication of the state of the art “Best Practices for Sustainable Packaging in the Textile Industry.”
The session continued with presentations of challenges posed by the companies Manufacturas Arpe, Hidrocolor, and Cart Service. Various discussion topics emerged, such as sustainable packaging alternatives, characteristics of alternative packaging elements (e.g., transparency), low market acceptance of plastic, and the high current costs of raw materials, among others. With all the collected information, participants were divided into groups to work on the challenges and propose potential solutions.
The session was a success; various synergies were generated among the partners of both clusters, which could lead to future collaborations to promote more sustainable packaging in the advanced textile materials sector. As a result of these potential solutions and the work done during previous project actions, the Texsospack coordinators will prepare a study identifying and analyzing the environmental impact of four of the proposed solutions.
The clusters act as a hub and collaborative environment to facilitate cooperation between companies, research centers, legislators, and other institutions that promote sustainability and provide SMEs with access to new skills, resources, and markets.