News from Italy – Second life plan for workwear

Italy-based Klopman International – a leading company in the production and marketing of technical fabrics for workwear in Europe – is participating in a project which not only aims to realise considerable energy savings, but also bringing back the supply chain for workwear fabrics to Europe. At the moment the supply chain depends on non-European countries for 85%. Moreover, the recycling project’s objective is to decrease emissions by more than 400,000 tons of CO2 over four years.

Jointly with fellow workwear companies Renaissance Textile and TDV Industries in France, the Italian company is setting up agreements with clients to take back and recycle workwear at the end of its first life cycle. This will enable the production of new fabrics to be put on the market again. Vital element of the project is the advanced Andritz Laroche recycling technology which has been installed for Renaissance in France. Here, the garments will be grouped, sorted and then transformed into new raw materials.