Each year in Prato, 22 thousand tonnes of "rags" are recycled, all of which are worked with the carding technique. The yarns are made from virgin fibers or obtained from recycled fabrics or knitwear off-cuts, both new and used. This process stands out for its use of short and non-homogeneous fibers mixed to create diverse compositions.
An approximate calculation on the basis of these 20,000 tons compared with the equivalent in virgin fiber leads to an estimate saving of:
- 60 million kilowatts of energy
- 500,000 cubic meters of water
- 650 tons of chemical auxiliaries
- 300 tons of dye
In addition, it avoids the emission of
- 18,000 tons of carbon dioxide
- 1,000 tons of sulphur dioxide
