Shima Seiki

Free membership

Receive our weekly Newsletter
and set tailored daily news alerts.

Fibres/​Yarns

Italian collaboration for sustainable performance sportswear

Two symbols of Italian manufacturing excellence pool their competencies to produce totally green technical sportswear.

30th April 2021

Knitting Industry
 |  Bergamo & Bologna, Italy

Hosiery/​Socks, Sports/​Activewear

To be leaders of change and promoters of a sustainable business model that provides traceable, virtuous and competitive production and supply chains, with benefits for all stakeholders. This is said to be the corporate strategy of both Macron, an international brand leader in the sportswear industry based in Bologna, and RadiciGroup, an Italian multinational headquartered in Bergamo and world leading manufacturer of a wide range of chemical intermediates, polymers, high-performance engineering polymers, and advanced textile solutions for a variety of applications, mainly in the fashion industry.

The companies have decided to pool their competencies to develop and produce technical sportswear combining high performance and sustainability. One notable result of this collaboration is a type of sports socks made of Renycle, a yarn manufactured by the Bergamo-based group from recycled nylon 6, a high-value material with excellent resistance, dyeing characteristics, softness and versatility.

At RadiciGroup, production scraps are recovered, recycled and reconverted into polymers, and eventually spun into yarn featuring technical characteristics comparable to the yarn made of fossil-source materials, but boasting decidedly better environmental performance. In fact, RadiciGroup says, the above-mentioned new yarn range reduces CO2 emissions by almost 90% and generates energy savings of more than 87% and water savings of 90%.

A circular economy cannot be achieved by acting alone

“Macron and RadiciGroup have long since embarked on a green path engaging their entire production chain, by launching initiatives and promoting solutions aimed at protecting the environment, while at the same time making targeted investments in sustainable innovation,” the Bergamo headquartered group said.

Macron, the Bologna-based company, has launched the Macron 4 the Planet project, which involves the construction of a new completely eco-sustainable headquarters, the production of sport jerseys made from 100% recycled polyester from PET bottles and the use of packaging, 100% made from certified recyclate.

RadiciGroup has adopted a circular economy business model and says it is directing all its efforts to optimizing raw material, energy and resource usage, perfecting processes, eliminating scraps and promoting designed-in end-of-life recycling of the materials it produces. The group’s goal is to reduce the environmental impact of its day-to-day activities by transparently and objectively measuring their effects at each stage.

Gianluca Pavanello, CEO of Macron, with Angelo Radici, president of RadiciGroup, and the sports socks made of Renycle. © RadiciGroup

Both organizations have developed corporate welfare policies fostering the implementation of training programmes focusing on the health, safety and wellbeing of their employees. All of the above decisions and policies contribute to reaching their main goal: “to win the battle for the future.”

“RadiciGroup is a valuable partner in the green path undertaken by Macron,” Gianluca Pavanello, CEO of Macron, commented. “A shared vision and strategy on sustainability and environmental protection is essential. Macron’s objective is to create advanced technical sportswear for athletes of all levels, and our mission, which we pursue with great passion and commitment, is to study and develop materials that are more and more eco-friendly. Finding companies like RadiciGroup – a world leader in its sector, with whom we share values such as sustainability, recycling, use of renewable sources, corporate welfare and care for local communities – allows us to enhance our product offering and gain market acceptance by people who play sports at all levels. We hope our partnership will continue to develop over time.”

“A circular economy cannot be achieved by acting alone,” stressed Angelo Radici, president of RadiciGroup. “As upstream players in the supply chain, we have always tried to share our knowledge of materials and deliver solutions featuring both better performance and respect for the environment. Furthermore, it is also crucial to find customers who are equally sensitive to these issues and can become strategic partners in the development of innovative and sustainable solutions. With Macron, we have worked as a team to create winning sports socks, because they are made from recycled materials, using all-Italian technologies, and are the result of a zero- kilometre, measured and traceable production and supply chain.”

www.radicigroup.com

www.macron.com

Latest Reports

Business intelligence for the fibre, textiles and apparel industries: technologies, innovations, markets, investments, trade policy, sourcing, strategy...

Find out more