Denim maker Candiani wins ITMA Sustainable Innovation Award

One of Europe’s largest denim producer, Candiani SpA has won the ITMA Sustainable Innovation Award, held in conjunction with ITMA 2019, for its innovative product, Candiani Re-Gen which is a ‘circular denim’ fabric created from regenerated and recycled raw materials.

Alberto Candiani, president of Candiani SpA, explained that the fabric was created to commemorate the company’s 80th anniversary in a statement: “We are a strong believer in sustainability. In creating the Re-Gen fabric, we leveraged Lenzing’s Tencel Lyocell fibres with Refibra technology, and combined it with our in-house expertise to create an innovative product that is fashionable and environmentally friendly at the same time.”

Fifty percent of the Re-Gen fabric comprises of Tencel x Refibra Lyocell made of pulp from cotton scraps and wood pulp using Lenzing’s efficient closed-loop process, while the other 50 percent consists of post-industrial recycled Candiani fibres. Candiani’s fabrics are also dyed using green technologies, resulting in a substantial reduction in the use of water and chemicals in the fabric production and jean washing process.

Candiani SpA received the award from Cematex president Fritz P. Mayer, on the opening day of ITMA 2019, who said: “We would like to congratulate both Candiani and Lenzing for their excellent collaboration. 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.”

The two other finalists of the ITMA Industry Excellence Award - Levi Strauss and Co, and Lee – were also praised for their efforts to introduce green innovations into their products and processes.