Candiani Bags Sustainable Innovation Award at ITMA
Circularity is gaining award-winning recognition.
At the recent ITMA in Barcelona, Italian denim producer Candiani SpA won the show’s Sustainable Innovation Award for its Re-Gen fabric.
The circular denim fabric made from regenerated and recycled raw materials uses 50 percent REFIBRA™ technology by TENCEL™—which is comprised of pulp from cotton scraps and wood pulp as part of Lenzing’s closed loop process—and the other 50 percent is made up of post-industrial recycled Candiani fibers, which, from the outset, are dyed using green technologies. This means the use of water and chemicals to produce Re-Gen is drastically reduced.
“We are a strong believer in sustainability. In creating the Re-Gen fabric, we leveraged Lenzing’s TENCEL™ lyocell fibers with Refibra technology, and combined it with our inhouse expertise to create an innovative product that is fashionable and environmentally friendly at the same time,” Alberto Candiani, president of Candiani SpA, said.
The Re-Gen fabric was created to commemorate the denim maker’s 80th anniversary.
The ITMA Sustainable Innovation Award is part of the ITMA Innovation Lab, which promotes research and innovation in the industry.
Lenzing nominated Candiani for the award, which Candiani received during a presentation ceremony on the opening day of ITMA.
“We would like to congratulate both Candiani and Lenzing for their excellent collaboration,” said European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers (CEMATEX) president Fritz P. Mayer, who presented the award. “CEMATEX launched the ITMA Sustainable Innovation Award in 2015 as we would like to encourage greater industry collaboration and synergies, as well as spur more research and development efforts. Ultimately, we need innovation to drive our business and contribute to a more circular economy.”
Levi Strauss & Co. and Lee jeans were the two other finalists for the award, and both were praised for their work in bringing green innovations into their products and processes. Levi’s won the very first ITMA Sustainable Innovation Award in 2015.