RDD'S 2023 RECAP

2023 was a year full of challenges for the RDD team. These challenges, like everything else in our lives, presented different difficulties, but they all required our greatest dedication. So we couldn't pass up the opportunity to look back on some of the projects, partnerships and launches that we successfully developed this year.

The company's mission is to develop environmentally responsible textile materials, mainly circular knits, through the use of emerging technologies and innovative raw materials.To achieve this goal, RDD supports different players and innovators in the supply chain, encouraging innovation through knowledge sharing, transparency and cooperation.

TECHNOLOGIES

This year, we presented several innovations in partnership, from dyeing technologies such as Colorifix, Living Ink?, Recycrom? and, more recently, Algaeing?, to printing technologies, where we focused on the use of sustainable pigments, such as BioBlack TX?, Recycrom? and Living Ink?.

The materialization of these technologies was presented through collaboration with established brands on the market, such as Vollebak and PANGAIA, or through partnerships with different entities to promote the new materials and/or technologies, such as the collaboration with Première Vision and Clothius, among others.

These technologies are alternatives to conventional methods, promoting better management of existing resources, particularly water and energy consumption. Replacing synthetic dyes, which can contain toxic and persistent chemicals, with Colorifix, Living Ink?, Recycrom? and Algaeing? dyes or pigments is a key approach in the company's present and future. In addition, and in this context, we presented a revolutionary pre-treatment technology in collaboration with PANGAIA and MTIX Ltd.

RDD x CLOTHIUS

The RDD x CLOTHIUS partnership was born out of the ambition to leverage all of RDD's strengths and the opportunity and challenge of entering a new market - circular knits developed for an active market.

We considered raw materials that we don't normally use and tried to maximize their use by combining and leveraging the different knitting/seamless technologies available at Clothius. This collaboration has resulted in products such as a tennis outfit and a shapewear outfit. We’re not just Jersey fabric producers. We are the player that has the agility to optimize and implement different technologies and products in the different companies of the Valérius universe.

RAW MATERIALS

When it comes to raw materials, and more specifically the use of recycled materials, RDD works closely with Valerius 360. In this area it is important to highlight the ongoing partnership with PANGAIA and Wagamama (a British restaurant group) where the aim is to recycle used t-shirts from Wagamama employees in order to develop new materials for an innovative line of hoodies.

ACCELERATING CIRCULARITY

The transition to a circular model faces many obstacles, specifically regarding the challenges associated to textile waste. It is necessary to rethink all production processes and involve all participants in the value chain.

According to the European Environment Agency, the textile and clothing sector generates around 92 million tons of waste a year worldwide. Only 38% of textile waste is used for reuse and recycling. Less than 1% of clothing is recycled.

Considering this premise, the Accelerating Circularity project was created with the aim of finding alternatives that promote acceleration towards a circular economy. In this specific case, post-industrial and post-consumer waste was used to develop new materials.

LCA

As previously described, we look for alternatives that effectively contribute to reducing the impact associated with the development of products and processes. To accomplish this, each new fiber, dyeing technology, printing, pre-treatment, among others, is always supported by a rigorous analysis of the different categories of environmental impact through LCA (Life Cycle Analysis).

Throughout this journey, the development and validation of technologies and products has helped us in terms of knowledge and allowed us to identify improvements for these and other ongoing projects. The support of our partners has been essential for the company’s sustainable growth.

We still have a long way to go, but we remain confident that our performance and efforts in developing new technologies and products have contributed and will continue to contribute to a more sustainable textile circular economy.