Gail Baugh – International Fibre Recycling Symposium Manchester (June 2017)

Abstract

The global textile and apparel industry is one of the largest in the world, employing billions of people, generating many fiber and textile products to be sold to consumers. Over 80 billion garments are produced each year. Retailers’ business models that plan end-of-life strategies for its textile products are required. Consumers must understand the value of their textile possessions and thoughtfully return them to their local market place for local economic benefit. This means to systematically recycle textile products, chemically and mechanically, in local industries.

Our future is about changing our human behavior to become a part of our environment, rather than remaining separate from it. The importance of changing behavior, in design, at fiber and fabric production, and during manufacture of textile products, is a first step in making fiber resources continuously available to the textile industry. As one of the largest industries globally, recognizing resource value as a key business model strategy, will insure future resource availability for textile and apparel industries.

Biography

Gail Baugh has extensive senior management experience in the global apparel and textile industries, particularly in product sourcing for large retail chain stores and for Teijin Frontier (USA), Inc. Experienced in retail buying (Macys), production management (domestic and international high quality garment factories), and international textile sourcing. Gail has a chemistry of textiles undergraduate degree and a recent master’s degree studying consumers’ attitudes toward discarded apparel.

With over 35 years textile industry experience, she continues to seek innovation to recycle fabric and reduce polluting practices in the industry. Her best-selling book, The Fashion Designer’s Textile Directory, provides detailed knowledge on demand and serves as a field guide for industry use. She is a founding member of PeopleWearSF, San Francisco/Bay Area’s trade association for the fashion apparel/sewn products industry, and she continues to teach the next generation at San Francisco State University.