Recycling plastic into new trainers, replacing chemicals with natural dyes and finding new ways to produce crystals for accessories are among the issues on the agenda at a major conference on sustainable fashion this week.

But one of the biggest dilemmas at the event at the Prince of Wales’ Dumfries House estate will be how to wean shoppers away from so-called “fast fashion”.

The conference will see contributions from leading names, including Patrick Grant, of TV’s The Great British Sewing Bee, businesswoman Nadja Swarovski and Christiane Arp of Vogue Germany. 

It is being hosted at Dumfries House, near Cumnock in Ayrshire, as part of The Prince’s Foundation’s Future Textiles initiative, which aims to breathe new life into a Scottish textiles industry that exports to 150 countries worldwide. 

Jacqueline Farrell, who grew up near Cumnock and has worked in textiles and fashion in the Scottish Borders and Glasgow, is now Director of Education at Dumfries House, where she is overseeing the Sustainability In Fashion conference.

The event is backed by the Fashion Council Germany, whose chief executive Scott Lipinski is also a local, having grown up down the road in Cumnock.

The Future Textiles programme provides expert tuition in traditional skills such as sewing, weaving and cutting to school pupils and adults so they can work in an industry which struggles with recruitment.

In line with the enthusiasm of His Royal Highness Prince Charles, and the vision underlying his development of the estate which he purchased in 2007, environmental impact is a major factor. 

The conference will be attended by more than 120 young people, including 80 secondary school pupils with an interest in fashion, sustainability or politics. 

“Our big goal is to reach the next generation,” Ms Farrell says. 

“Fast fashion causes a huge global pollution problem. Most UK manufacturers are not part of that and tend towards the high end of the market. But customers need to know the difference.”

One question will be how to change the mindset of customers, she adds.

“We want to know what influences young people’s choices. What would make young people consume something more sustainable and fairly produced? Young people are well aware of climate change and are concerned about the future. Many are eating well, and take an interest in ethical farming practices. But they may be less aware of how to lobby for fairly made garments.”

On the other had there are also online social media ‘influencers’ wearing clothes and more or less throwing them away days later, she says. “Social media has a role. If you can have three different outfits delivered to your door, do you know what the carbon footprint of that is, and of sending them back again?”

But consumer decisions are not always a simple as they might seem, she adds.

“It is not necessarily simply a case of choosing an organic T-shirt rather than a non-organic one. The organic one can take three times as much water to produce. If it is produced somewhere where there is a water shortage, that T-shirt may not be as friendly and sustainable as you think”.

One issue on the table could be eco-labelling schemes, she says. Could ethical ratings for clothes – as pioneered by London fashion brand Mother of Pearl – become more widespread? 

Smaller brands can often act more quickly than large brands, but the impact of change at a larger brand can be bigger.  A speaker from Adidas will tell the conference about Ocean Plastic, its trainer line made out of harvested marine waste which is recycled. 

Meanwhile Nadia Swarowski will discuss how the 124-year-old crystal brand has made progress is changing its manufacturing systems. Sometimes seen as an ethical alternative to diamonds, the chemical process through which they are made involves dozens of raw materials – but the company now publishes a two-yearly sustainability report detailing its efforts to reduce its impact.

At home, a lack of knowledge of the textile industry and decades of underinvestment in training means a lot of young people don’t consider the range of careers it offers, Ms Farrell adds. 

Dumfries House teaches 1000 young people a year about the industry and gives them basic sewing skills. Those who are more interested can learn about knitting, hand embroidery and weaving machines on an SQA accredited scheme. There is a high end market for hand-knitted garments, but despite “everybody’s gran and auntie” knitting, the industry finds it hard to recruit people with the skills. 

Another initiative takes people who have left university and trains them to make luxury fashion products.

Mr Lipinski says: “Sustainability has become a huge aspect for both manufacturers and consumers over the last couple of years, in Germany at least. Customers are asking not just where do garments, or fabrics come from but also looking for a wider perspective on a brand.

“This started in the food industry. Where did your food come from? How much meat should you eat? Should you eat less but better meat.”

The fashion industry is some years behind the food industry but is facing some very similar questions, he adds: “German consumers are asking where does it come from, but not just that but would I rather purchase something that is ‘fast fashion’ or something higher quality. And do I really need it?”

“Even fast fashion companies I know are moving in that direction as well.   hope people will go away inspired.”

The event is particularly valuable in putting manufacturers and brands in contact with the next generation, he says. 

“In Germany, as you do, we see young people demonstrating at rallies about climate change. The Scandinavian campaigners have a slogan I really like: There is no Planet B”.