On 1 January 2022, three years ahead of schedule, Italy became the first country to implement European regulations on the obligation to separately collect textile waste.
Founded last August and now officially unveiled, Re.Crea, the consortium for the sustainability of textile waste, was born under the coordination of the National Chamber of Italian Fashion and from the synergy between Dolce & Gabbana, Max Mara Fashion Group, Moncler Group, Otb Group, Prada Group and Ermenegildo Zegna Group.
Il proThe project was born under the star of sustainability, with the aim of working for the management of end-of-life textile products and to promote the research and development of innovative recycling solutions. “I thank the brands that generously continue to work together on a crucial issue for our industry,” said Carlo Capasa, president of CNMI. The management of the entire life of products is a measure of the sense of responsibility that every manufacturer must have from the moment they create a garment. It is nice that from the great brands of high quality associated with Cnmi comes a message that will be central to the future of fashion’.
Tuscany, with the city of Prato, wins the role of pioneer of Italian textile recycling by standing as a candidate to become the location of Europe’s first textile hub for a total investment of 18 million euros that also benefits from the resources of the NRP.
Also in Tuscany, in Scandicci to be exact, Zerolab, the hub dedicated to the creative recycling of leather, will come to light. The data in the 2021 ‘Italy of recycling’ report published by Mite and Ispra speak for themselves: textile waste disposed of, officially surveyed, amounted to about 480 thousand tonnes last year, of which 284 thousand tonnes were industrial waste from the pre-consumer textile chain, while urban post-consumer waste amounted to 146 thousand tonnes, and it is here that the game is largely played for the conversion of the fashion supply chain into a more sustainable and less impactful system.
