The workshop will define buzzwords such as sustainability, organic, renewable, recyclable, aqueous and water solvents, before going on to help attendees fully understand their products, supply chain and manufacturing processes, as well as how to identify sustainable suppliers.&rtreturn;Specialists within the synthetic, leather and textile industries, Karla S Mugruder and Nicholas M Yardy PhD will host the workshop. Magruder is president of Fabrikology International, a textile consulting firm specialising in marketing and educating the market about innovative technologies and sustainable fibres. Having worked in the textile industry for more than 25 years on a global scale, she has experience of materials right through to finished products. Yardy is director of marketing and technical service for Sappi | Warren Release Papers and has been involved in the synthetic leather industry for eight years. &rtreturn;Courtney Harold, show director comments on the importance of this workshop, ‘The environmental impact of every industry is under scrutiny today. It is key that everyone within the chain of footwear production and commerce understands the issues. ‘Eco-friendly’ and ‘green’ are words often used to describe products, which through development to finished goods do little or no harm to our environment. At the Materials Expo, we are offering a perfect platform – where the entire footwear industry will be gathered together – to address the green subject head-on. Attendees will leave understanding how their companies and the industry in general, can make a difference to the planet, and this all begins with an understanding of what green really means.’ &rtreturn;To find out more about the Materials at WSA Expo and Conference, visit [http://www.materialsatshow.com].
