Circular Textiles: Less Waste, More Future
Date:
7th of October 2026
Location:
JW Marriott® - Bucharest Grand Hotel,
Constanta Hall (Calea 13 Septembrie, no. 90, Bucharest)
Constanta Hall (Calea 13 Septembrie, no. 90, Bucharest)
About the conference
The international conference “Circular Textiles – Less Waste, More Future” is organised by the Circular Economy Coalition – CERC, in partnership with ARETEX – the Romanian Association for Textile Reuse and Recycling, Recycling Europe – Textiles Branch, and BACT – the Bulgarian Association for Circular Textiles.
Now in its second edition, the conference positions Bucharest as a central forum for technical and regulatory dialogue on the textile value chain in Central and Eastern Europe. Discussions will focus on putting circular economy principles into practice, aligning industrial infrastructure with EU requirements, and harmonising national legislative frameworks.
The main objective is to define common technical priorities and strategic directions for scaling up textile collection, sorting, reuse and recycling across the region.
Key Topics to be Addressed
1. Implementation of National Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Schemes: Presentation of good practices for expanding EPR programmes, analysis of European and national legislative frameworks, and the perspectives of public institutions and industry on implementing EPR schemes.
2. Separate Collection of Post-Consumer Textiles: Advanced sorting technologies, market integration for reuse, the importance of EU funding for recycling projects, and the transformation of waste into resources.
3. Textile Reuse and Recycling Industry: Promoting research and development programmes to advance textile recycling technologies and create new circular business models based on reuse or repair.
The conference provides a strategic European platform for all stakeholders across the textile value chain, focused on harmonising the regulatory framework, leveraging technical expertise, and developing appropriate industrial infrastructure.
Keynote speakers
Nicolae Ștefănuță
Vice-President of the European Parliament
Diana-Anda Buzoianu
Minister of Environment, Waters and Forests of Romania
Dan-Adrian Pop
State Secretary, Ministry of Economy, Digitalization, Entrepreneurship and Tourism
Glad-Aurel Varga
Senator, Chair of the Committee on Environment
Andrei-Rudolf Corlan
Commissioner General, National Environmental Guard
Mihaela Frăsineanu
State Counsellor, Chancellery of the Prime Minister
Ionuț-Florin Pucheanu
Mayor of Galați
Mariska Boer
President, Recycling Europe Textiles Branch
Karina Bolin
President, Humana People to People Romania
Constantin Damov
President, Circular Economy Coalition – CERC
Zoltán Gündisch
President, Romanian Association for Textile Reuse and Recycling – ARETEX
Ionuț Georgescu
CEO, FEPRA
Sirma Zheleva
CEO, Bulgarian Association Circular Textiles; Sustainability Manager, TexCycle
Diana Miculaș
Zone Manager, Secondtex
Marius Porojan
Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Green Pack
Serghey Yurcha
Senior Project Manager, Landbell Group
Nicholas Kythreotis
CEO, Direct Trimmings
Helio Moreira
Sorting Department Manager, Textile House
Zsuzsanna Székely
CEO, La Majole
Raluca Mocanu
Market Sustainability Leader, IKEA
Daniel Cobîltean
Environmental Specialist, Decathlon Romania
Claudia Lixandru
CEO, Viitor Plus Association
Mihaela Papazu
President, Planeta Verde Association
Moderator: Alex Laibăr
Circular Economy Coalition – CERC
Conference Agenda
Registration & Welcome Coffee
Opening Remarks
Panel 1: Implementing National Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Schemes
Keynote Presentation: Implementing and Scaling EPR Programs - Country Best Practice
(Mariska Boer, President, Recycling Europe - Textile Branch)
Keynote Presentation: European & National Legislation Frameworks for EPR
(Karina Bolin, CEO Humana People to People)
Panel Discussion + Q&A: Regulatory updates and financial impact on the value chain
• Diana Buzoianu – Minister of Environment, Waters and Forests of Romania
• Nicolae Ștefănuță – Vice-President of the European Parliament
• Glad-Aurel Varga – Senator, Chair of the Committee on Environment
• Mariska Boer – President, Recycling Europe Textiles Branch
• Constantin Damov – President, Circular Economy Coalition – CERC
• Zoltán Gündisch – President, Romanian Association for Textile Reuse and Recycling – ARETEX
• Ionuț Georgescu – CEO, FEPRA
• Moderator: Alex Laibăr – Executive Director , Circular Economy Coalition - CERC
Panel 2: Separate Collection of Post-Consumer Textiles under EPR Frameworks
Keynote Presentation: Advancing Separate Collection Through the Lens of EPR
(Serghey Yurcha, Senior Project Manager, Landbell Group)
Keynote Presentation: Driving Circular Textiles Forward: Experience, Policy and Innovation
(Sirma Zheleva, CEO, Bulgarian Association Circular Textile ; Sustainability Manager, TexCycle)
Panel Discussion + Q&A: Logistics, sorting hubs, and scalability for textile waste
• Dan-Adrian Pop – State Secretary, Ministry of Economy, Digitalization, Entrepreneurship and Tourism
• Andrei-Rudolf Corlan – Commissioner General, National Environmental Guard
• Ionuț-Florin Pucheanu – Mayor of Galați
• Mihaela Frăsineanu – State Counsellor, Chancellery of the Prime Minister
• Sirma Zheleva – CEO, Bulgarian Association Circular Textiles; Sustainability Manager, TexCycle
• Diana Miculaș – Zone Manager, Secondtex
• Marius Porojan - Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Green Pack
• Serghey Yurcha - Senior Project Manager, Landbell Group
Coffee Break
(Serghey Yurcha, Senior Project Manager, Landbell Group)
Panel 3: Textile Reuse and Recycling Industry
Keynote Presentation: Sorting Technologies and Market Integration for Reuse
(Helio Moreira, Head of Sorting, Textile House)
Keynote Presentation: 1 Life Up - Impact of Textile EPR and its Importance
(Daniel Cobîltean – Environmental Specialist, Decathlon Romania)
Panel Discussion + Q&A: Turning waste into resources and sorting priorities
• Karina Bolin – President, Humana People to People Romania
• Nicholas Kythreotis – CEO, Direct Trimmings
• Zsuzsanna Székely – CEO, La Majole
• Raluca Mocanu – Market Sustainability Leader, IKEA
• Daniel Cobîltean – Environmental Specialist, Decathlon Romania
• Claudia Lixandru – CEO, Viitor Plus Association
• Mihaela Papazu – President, Planeta Verde Association
• Helio Moreira - Sorting Department Manager, Textile House