MAKE YOUR CASE: Phil Patterson believes the way we use chemicals in the textiles industry is broken and here is his plan to change it!

Big Closets Small Planet

Phil Patterson, Managing Director at Colour Connections, has been working at the intersection between the textile industry and influential retail brands for over twenty years, and after some recent soul-searching he had an epiphany. He has come to the conclusion that the current way we use and dispose of chemicals is extremely wasteful and will not achieve the environmental and health improvements we are aiming for. During this episode, Phil outlines his arguments for why we need to move from the current single use, linear buy-use-dump model for chemical use to a circular model, and he explains what this new model should entail. Key success factors in his proposal include making the chemical user responsible for the chemicals they use and a suggestion that a move to 'Zero Liquid Discharge', where no waste water discharge from wet processors is allowed, should be mandatory throughout the industry. Phil makes his case. What do you think? This podcast is supported by the Laudes Foundation, The Rylander Foundation, and TENCEL™. It is produced in collaboration with Ecotextile News.