Italian textile chemical company Officina+39 is set to scale up production of its Recycrom colour powders, made from 100% textile waste.
Recycrom dye powers are made from recycled textiles
Introduced by the company in 2016, the invention went on to win the Keyhouse Hightex Award at Munich Fabric Start 2017 and was applied to the first of two capsule collections by Italian high-street retailer OVS. Officina+39 says that, as interest in this start-up technology increases exponentially, it is now set for truly mass volumes.
Recycrom is a full range of coloured powders made by recycling textile fibres from used clothing and manufacturing waste. Through a patented process, the fibres are upcycled into a uniform and solid powder that can be used as a pigment dye for fabrics and garments made of cotton, wool, nylon or any natural and most artificial fibres and blends. Recycrom can also be applied using various methods: exhaustion dyeing, printing and spray – with coating also under development.
Various dyeing methods are applicable to the dye powders
The colours are said to give an ‘on-trend’ washed-out and natural look. Brands are also being invited to make custom dyes from their own scraps and textile waste.
Officina+39’s collaboration with retailer OVS began as a result of the exposure it received as a Keyhouse Hightex Award winner and has so far resulted in two capsule collections. The company says it is talking to many other interested brands and retailers for a whole range of collaborations.
Available methods include screen printing
The story behind Recycrom’s development is featured in the newly released Book of Denim, Volume 2 (Amsterdam Publishing Int, 2018). Officina+39’s CEO Andrea Venier is also a featured speaker at this week’s denim industry innovations summit, Kingpins Transformers, in Amsterdam.
Based in the traditional high-end textiles town of Biella, the textile chemical company was founded by Andrea’s father, Roberto Venier, in 1992. “The long-term goal for Officina+39’s R&D centre was always to invent a game-changer – one that could impact the whole textiles industry,” says Andrea. “And in the end, we found our inspiration very close to home.”
Father and son Roberto and Andrea Venier
With its long tradition in textiles, Biella also has a long tradition in recycling. “One day I was visiting an old friend, Simone Gaslini, who has a spinning unit for regenerated yarn. He was showing me how he selected and sorted scraps and I suddenly noticed some powder coming from his machines,” recalls Andrea. “I took some and discovered that I could use this powder as a pigment – but a very poor one due to all the inconsistencies.”
Hence, the Officina+39 R&D team set out to make a perfectly uniform solid powder and, 18 months later, came up with an eight-step process involving various machines that could transform fibres into powder.
