#Yarn & Fiber

2021-04-08

“Oroblù Save the Oceans”: sustainable wearables

A collaboration between RadiciGroup and CSP International results in the first Oroblù-branded tights made in Italy from recycled plastic bottles.

Creating a high-quality, fashionable textile product that is also sustainable, owing to its limited impact on the environment. That was the challenge taken on by the Bergamo-based Italian multinational RadiciGroup – a world leading manufacturer of polyamides, synthetic fibres and engineering polymers with applications in a variety of industries, mainly in the textile/fashion sector – and the high-end hosiery brand Oroblù owned by CSP International – a group engaged in the production and sale of hosiery, men’s and women’s intimatewear and swimwear, headquartered in the province of Mantua, Italy. The aim was to be the first in Italy to produce tights using yarn made from recycled PET bottles.

The two companies, both of which are innovation- and sustainability-oriented and recognized as symbols of Italian excellence, decided to combine their know-how to create a high-performance, stylish and eco-friendly product.

It is with this idea in mind that “Oroblù Save the Oceans” was created: black, 50-denier tights made of Repetable, a new RadiciGroup polyester yarn derived from post-consumer recycled PET bottles. This process reduces CO2 emissions, as well as the consumption of water and energy.

After a careful study and evaluation of the material, Oroblù chose RadiciGroup Repetable yarn for its unique properties and high technical performance characteristics, which fully meet the Save the Oceans project requirements. Repetable yarn uses no virgin material and is coloured by solution-dyeing, a method that saves water and electricity during production.

“Our product strategy,” Angelo Radici, president of RadiciGroup, pointed out, “is increasingly focused on expanding the use of recovered raw materials without compromising the performance of the products we propose to our customers. We have worked side by side with Oroblù to bring to market beautiful, high-quality and eco-friendly tights – a product capable of meeting the needs and demands of even the most environmentally conscious customers. And we are very proud to work with a company of excellence in our region.”

RadiciGroup: 21st Sustainability Report published

RadiciGroup has published its 21st Sustainability Report, covering the year 2024, confirming more than two decades of transparency and measurement in the economic, environmental, and social dimensions. From its first Social Report in 2004 to the current reporting aligned with the GRI Universal Standards, the Group is now preparing for its next challenge: the adoption of the criteria that will be set out by the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).

Twenty years of Sustainability Report for RadiciGroup

The RadiciGroup Sustainability Report reaches an important milestone this year: twenty years have in fact passed since the Group published its first Social Report in 2004, qualifying it as one of the pioneering companies in the realisation of voluntary non-financial reporting. The document measures the Group’s achievements and the actions it has taken to reduce its environmental impact, respect social values, and implement good business management practices.

Expansive innovations converge in Shanghai as Yarn Expo Autumn 2026 opens doors next week

With just days to go, industry enthusiasm is building for the opening of Yarn Expo Autumn, Asia’s premier yarn and fibre trade fair, running from 25 – 27 August at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). Across 27,000 sqm in Hall 8.2, buyers will find nearly 600 exhibitors from 14 countries and regions, spread across seven specialised zones that range from cutting-edge man-made and regenerated fibres to time-honoured cashmere and silk. Beyond the extensive sourcing options, a fringe programme of trend showcases, presentations and product launches rounds out the three¬day event with design, innovation and market intelligence.

Dornbirn GFC 2026 expands conference program with new thematic sessions

For 65 years, Dornbirn GFC has stood for innovation and is one of the world’s leading conferences in the fiber industry. From September 16 to 18, 2026, the international fiber community will meet in Dornbirn, Austria, to discuss current trends, technological developments, and forward-looking solutions. More than 600 experts from industry and academia from over 30 countries are expected to attend. With around 100 presentations by renowned speakers, a 2,5-day conference program, and three parallel presentation rooms with moderated sessions, Dornbirn GFC provides a first-class platform for knowledge exchange, networking, and international collaboration. Together, participants will generate ideas and impulses that will sustainably shape the future of the global fiber industry.

HeiQ & Archroma and Lenzing & Armedangels win ITMF International Collaboration Awards 2026

The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) has named two industry partnerships as winners of the ITMF International Collaboration Awards 2026. The awards go to collaborations between HeiQ and Archroma as well as Lenzing and Armedangels, highlighting joint approaches to innovation and sustainability across different parts of the textile value chain.

180 years of TESTEX: From Zurich silk testing to global certification

For 180 years, TESTEX has developed alongside the textile industry while maintaining the same underlying purpose: creating trust through independent and reliable measurement. Founded in Zurich in 1846 as the Zurich Silk Conditioning Institute, TESTEX has grown from a local institution serving the silk trade into an international Swiss testing and certification institute for textiles and leather.

Moving Advanced Recycling from Innovation to Implementation

The Advanced Recycling Conference 2026 explores technologies, markets, financing and scale-up of innovative recycling solutions for waste streams including mixed plastic waste, textiles and PVC. Europe’s chemical and materials sector faces growing pressure to close carbon loops, strengthen raw-material safety and resilience and meet increasingly ambitious EU recycling targets. Against this backdrop, the Advanced Recycling Conference (ARC) will bring together industry leaders, technology providers, researchers, innovators and policy-makers on 17–18 November 2026 in Cologne, Germany.

German textile industry and retailers form alliance to shape textile EPR system

Germany’s textile and fashion industry and retail sector have joined forces to establish the “Alliance for Textile Circularity” (Allianz für textile Kreisläufe). Initiated by the German Textile and Fashion Industry Association (Gesamtverband textil+mode) and the German Retail Federation (HDE), the alliance aims to contribute industry expertise to the development of Germany’s future Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system for textiles and footwear.