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Circular economy in the textile sector, limitations and opportunities

Is circular economy in the textile sector possible? The answer is yes! Of course, one must evaluate the costs and the final quality of the product. The path has been taken, and it is worth to pursue it. Applying circular economy principles to textiles can reduce the environmental and climate impacts of an industry that is often in the spotlight while maintaining its economic and social benefits. The focus must be on the entire textile supply chain starting from the fibre manufacturing and product use, to postconsumer management. This includes the selection of materials to be recovered for a second life and the identification of methods to facilitate the reuse and recycling phases of textile waste. From this perspective, community strategies are clear regarding the sustainability of textile products: textiles are identified as a central sector through which the EU can prepare the path towards a carbon-neutral and circular economy. Adopting the principles of sustainability means addressing many critical issues, while also gaining some strategic business advantages such as attracting and acquiring a target group of green consumers. So, is textile sustainability also cost-effective? Which path did you choose as part of your company policy?

“The textile cleaning sector annually replaces about 15% of the linen used in the rental business. This amount of end-of-life product is normally destined for rags, cloths and carpets,” we discuss about this with Alessandro Erba, Export Manager at Industria Tessile Gastaldi & C. S.p.A. “Starting from this important resource, and considering the further deadline of 2030, by which the European Community will require the traceability of recovery processes and management of end-of-life products, the project for the recovery and recycling of textile materials has been developed. The circular economy project is based on two fundamental pillars: a technological one and a manufacturing one. From a technological point of view, has been created a digital platform that is able to trace the entire process of textile waste recovery and recycling, guaranteeing that the output product of the process has its own “digital passport” ensuring complete traceability.

In addition to tracing the entire production process, the platform is capable of managing the balance sheet and measuring environmental performance. As far as the manufacturing process is concerned, a 100% MADE IN ITALY production chain recovers textile waste from industrial laundries, transforms it into raw material, which is then shredded and spun. The yarn resulted is used to reproduce a series of 100% recycled and reusable textile articles, also within the laundry sector. Consider that, on a global average, it takes about 2.100 litres of water to produce 1 kg of cotton. Additionally, for the cultivation of cotton, which occupies 2.5% of the world’s agricultural land, 19% of all insecticides and 9% of all pesticides used are applied.

These data clearly indicate how a circular process immediately contributes to preserving essential resources such as water and protects against the indiscriminate use of harmful chemicals, both for the environment and for humans.
Last but not least, the entire manufacturing process of recovery also ensures significant savings in terms of CO2 emissions. It is estimated that the global consumption of cotton is responsible for the release of about 220 million tons of CO2, and for every 1.000 kg of traditional cotton, 1.800 kg of CO2eq are being released. Gastaldi has named the product resulting from this important supply chain: “OPERA”, a GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certified table linen currently available on the market and customizable, a strong point of the company thanks to its vertical production cycle,” concludes Alessandro Erba.

We meet Cristina Salvati, the Managing Director of MASA S.p.A., who emphasises, “at the moment for us weavers in terms of respect for the environment and recycled fabric there are basically two paths: that of using recycled cotton in the version with polyester (obtained from plastic bottles) but also only 100% cotton, or organic cotton. The advantages of organic cotton include the absence of pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, and other harmful toxic substances for the environment. We already purchase the yarn with these characteristics directly from the source. To date, the market segment that can accept this type of article is rather limited, partly because the green awareness in our specific sector is not strongly rooted yet, but mainly because the cost, much higher than standard processing, is currently a challenge.

It is the usual game between market demand and supply and today this type of yarn is objectively more expensive. Probably when these items will be in higher demand, the price will also gradually decrease. However, we are ready because we have been using these yarns for some time and we will soon be also certified as we are convinced that we have taken the right path. It is necessary to do this seriously and carefully, subjecting the entire supply chain to certification and/or monitoring and verification. Our green line, entirely made in Italy, is currently dedicated only to table linen,” concludes Cristina Salvati.

“At the moment, there are still no technologies yet that allow us to reuse a fabric that can provide us with a fibre and yarn with the durability and resistance characteristics required by industrial laundries,” we discuss about this with Roberto Littamè, the Manager of the company Tessiltorre. It’s right to move towards creating single-fibre products made in order to facilitate the recovery of these fabrics, preferably composed of 100% cotton, in order to develop other products that may not necessarily belong to our market.” Why are you explicitly referring to single-fibre products? “Because today, the technology to separate a cotton/polyester blend is chemically very harmful on the environment.

Not only in our sector but especially in fashion, the trend is already towards making garments with a single fibre, whether in wool or cotton.” How do you currently see the market regarding reuse? “Frankly, I don’t see particular attention and attraction, at least in Italy, but I don’t exclude that something might change soon, even if at the moment, I see some resistance. In our product range, we also offer a blend with virgin cotton and regenerated polyester, which is attracting some interest, but beyond that, frankly, I don’t see anything else. The textile industry in Italy, particularly in our sector, is already very environmentally conscious.

It’s true that the yarn comes from abroad, but both dyeing and bleaching work are done in Italy, at least as far as we are concerned. The dyer must comply with a series of stringent regulations, using only certain types of dyes and recycling water. In bleaching, there is a water purification process that not only leads to water savings but also has a low environmental impact. Are we sure that all fashion items coming from abroad are also subjected to such strict constraints?

We meet Andrea Rovea, the CEO of Parotex, who states, “The topic of sustainability is very complex and extensive. The management and process of producing recycled and regenerated yarns have some aspects that are harmful to the environment in terms of CO2 emissions. The emissions generated by the electric cars are much less harmful to the environment than those using fossil fuels, but we must consider the entire process. The batteries of electric cars, both in their production and disposal, have a significant environmental impact. The recycling issue in our sector has already been discussed in the United States before the Covid pandemic, but today they are back to requiring a standard product. Have they re-considered their decision? The demand still exists even if resized compared to the past.

It is a different matter in northern Europe, where the issue of recyclability has been in the spotlight for more than 20 years, being almost a genetic trait. In Mediterranean Europe, recycling is a much-neglected issue: in Italy, the priority is often price rather than the product, and it’s inevitable that a regenerated yarn costs a bit more. The higher cost is justified in some cases, while in others, it is artificially kept high for strategic reasons. The question is, how much more is the customer willing to pay for a regenerated yarn? In 2017, we obtained the GRS certification for an article that contained and still contains at least 50,1% of regenerated/ recycled product. We proposed it in the United States and it received a good feed-back, as well as in Northern Europe.

In Italy, on the other hand, it struggles to catch on. This is a product that costs on average between 5 and 10% more than the standard one, so essentially it has a cost of 10/12 cents more per napkin. Then we must add that too often there are products that are presented as regenerated without any GRS certification and this affects the credibility of the market. This is a situation that would require regularization because, for those like us who are certified, it means an additional cost, which is inevitably reflected on the final price. The inspection visit of the certifying body covers the entire production chain, including dyeing and bleaching departments. Our product is called Re: New and is composed of 46% virgin cotton, 26% regenerated cotton, and 26% recycled polyester. We always consider that we must deal with real requirements and that the products must be cleaned and cared in industrial laundries, considering that the average lifespan of a tablecloth ranges between 1 and a half to 2 years.

The combined effect of mechanical action, detergents, and washing temperature makes the difference in the product’s lifespan. Everything is being checked weekly, with the scientific support of fabric analysis laboratories. The best practice would be to wash the products according to the company’s technical data sheet corresponding to each product, appropriately combined with the maintenance action of the laundry, which sometimes is even missing. One last thing regarding the certification, on the American market they ask for certified bed linen, because when purchasing this kind of certified products, the companies are able to obtain a tax relief, but this also happens in Northern European countries. We expect this practice also in Italy and other parts of Europe,” concludes Andrea Rovea.

What do you think about the so-called regenerated yarns? “Regenerated cotton yarns do not have the same tenacity as the mother yarn and also involve the presence of other fibres,” is the first assessment of Lorenzo Lanfranchi, the Sales Manager of Coritex S.n.c. The yarn resistance in a value that indicates the strength of the thread – he adds. In other words, we are talking about the resistance of the wire, up to the breaking point. The value obtained when measuring the yarn resistance is expressed in breakage kilometres (RKM), which means after how many kilometres the wire breaks under its own weight. From this point of view, there is a gap to be filled in terms of resistance. Furthermore, industrial laundries need to absorb the expenses of purchasing linen over the longest period of time possible when making a quality purchase.

There are two pressing demands: price reduction and product durability. This pushes forward the idea of introducing a recycled product, but honestly speaking, table linen already embodies the fundamental concept of reuse, which is already saying alot. Furthermore, our production is mainly focused on items made of 100% cotton, which are more easily recyclable compared to synthetic blends and which, at the end of their life cycle, contribute to the circular economy of regenerated yarns. We notice that the end users are still not receptive enough to recycled products, and we can see this in the catering industry, where they use disposable paper or nonwoven fabrics. Beyond recycling, table linen has a long lifespan of reuse, making it a top choice in terms of green products, a message that should be strongly promoted to the restaurant industry and its customers. “From my point of view, this is the most important battle to fight, at the moment, for a green and circular economy,” concludes Lorenzo Lanfranchi.

“In our vision of sustainability, we have focused on sustainable and eco-friendly fibres,” says Letizia Cimmino, the Managing Director of Forniture Tessili Cimmino S.r.l. “An outstanding example is the production of our towels with a composition of 50% cotton and 50% bamboo. The fabric fibre derived from the bamboo plant enjoys many qualities such as biodegradability and durability, the fabric is breathable and recyclable. The bamboo plantations require 1/3 of the amount of water compared to the cotton plant and are cultivated without the use of chemicals. A particular characteristic of the bamboo fabric is its antibacterial quality: the fibre contains an antimicrobial bio-agent, called “bamboo kun,” which helps to reduce the bacteria that thrive on garments and consequently on our skin, limiting allergic reactions.

Bamboo fibre gives the towels shine and softness even after many washing cycles. In recent years, we have also launched a research project on sustainability in the textile industry with the Hygiene Department of the University of Rome Foro Italico. We have started testing coloured yardage fabrics destined for table linen with the aim of assessing their impact on water. Twelve table linens of different colours were selected and subjected to appropriate washes in distilled water without the use of detergents, varying certain parameters, including more or less intense mechanical action, and drying processes, whether air-dried or in a tumble dryer. The washing/drying cycles for each of the aforementioned methods were repeated up to twelve times.

The wash water was analyzed for color release, turbidity, total organic carbon (TOC), and effects on different larval stages of the target organism Artemia franciscana, following Legislative Decree 152/2006 for saline discharge into the sea. Under all examined conditions, the monitored parameters showed a progressive decrease in relative values over the subsequent washing and drying cycles. After 12 cleaning cycles, colour and turbidity were 99% removed. A significant decrease in toxicity on the target organism was observed between the first and last wash. Already today, it seems we have achieved good results by following this path, but we are already working on others,” concludes Letizia Cimmino.

“Our reference market is the Italian one, but we are also present also internationally”, explains us Andrea Perego, the CEO of Tessitura Perego S.r.l. “Customers from Northern Europe are asking us for recycled products. We have introduced in our warehouse a line called EcoLine, that we use to produce tablecloths using polyester derived from recycled plastic bottles and cotton made from scraps, or rather from second-choice and packaging waste. Our supply chain is completing GRS certification for spinning, finishing, weaving, and packaging. The new EcoLine will also receive a certification. The characteristics of this product are very similar to those of the traditional product.

Even in terms of costs, it is a product that is, in essence, comparable to the traditional ones. We did this mainly on the tablecloth, but we are also testing the towels composed of, warp and weft made from a mixture of polyester and recycled cotton, while the terry cloth, which comes in contact with the skin, is composed of 100% natural cotton. We are confident that these eco-friendly products will be well received on the market, considering the growing interest in sustainability and environmental awareness in the clothing industry. We are confident that this trend will also extend to the hospitality sector, where we forsee an increasing implementation of eco-friendly solutions.”

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