SUSTAINABILITY FOR l’Opificio

To represent a positive change through a sustainable production process. It is with this aim that l’Opificio has decided, together with other companies of the textile production chain, to join Slow Food in the creation of Slow Fiber.

Since its foundation, l’Opificio has shared in its corporate objectives, to be a company attentive to sustainability. Special attention to the environment and people, which is reflected both in the choice of raw materials and production methods, and on a concept of luxury goods intended as superior quality products and durable over time, far from the idea of "fast use".

Presented on September 23rd, 2022, during Salone del Gusto-Terra Madre, Slow Fiber aims to disseminate knowledge of the impact that textile products have on the environment, on the workers in the supply chain and on the health of consumers in order to spread a new ethic and culture of clothing and furnishing.

By becoming part of this network of virtuous companies, l’Opificio becomes a spokesman for the values defined in the Slow Fiber Manifesto, concretely committing itself every day to make them more and more real and becoming a promoter of positive change.
 

Slow Food has established itself by promoting the right to food pleasure, through the search, within this primary human need, for what is “good, clean and fair”.

These essential concepts of pleasure and quality apply also to another primary need of the human being that distinguishes the latter from all living beings on Earth: that of dressing up and showing his personality through the clothes he wears. The house and its furnishings participate in the same function as clothing.

In addition to food pleasure, therefore, aesthetic pleasure, protection and the pursuit of beauty and a better quality of life. Beauty is not just an individualistic affirmation of oneself, but it is a form of exercising the right to happiness that requires respect for the rights of others and the protection of the environment and nature that host us.

Beauty is not only an aesthetic canon but must include substantial values: it is beautiful what is also healthy, clean, fair, durable, as characteristics of sustainability of the textile supply chain through which the product we use is made.

The frenetic progress of mankind has taken us beyond consumerism, transforming us into the society of waste: today it is estimated that over 150 billion pieces of clothing and accessories are produced every year, almost half of which remains unsold.

In the textile sector on the wave of the rapid success of fast fashion, the constant search for cost reduction through the lowering of product quality levels, environmental pollution, the exploitation of low-cost labor, has destroyed diversity, flattened consumption, fueled waste, hence losing traditions and, what is even more serious, the perception of quality, know-how and competence.

Consumerism cannot be eliminated; however, it is possible to change its course, combining aesthetics, ethics and quality of life, through more conscious production and consumption of healthy, clean, fair and durable products, capable of exciting because they are linked to fundamental values such as tradition, quality, the transparency of the production chain that seems to have lost its meaning and that we want to promote. Only a growing demand for sustainable products (healthy, clean, fair and durable) can trigger a change in the industrial strategies of producers who are called to offer higher quality goods with less and more efficient use of resources, applying the principles of the circular economy.

A production and commercial model based on quality, circularity and dignity is still possible. In the same decades profoundly marked by the relocation of mass textile production to countries with low-cost labor and more permissive environmental laws, thousands of textile companies have instead remained faithful to their values of a transparent, clean and fair supply chain, offering on the market durable and quality products that enhance the knowledge and skills of the territory, patiently developed and handed down from generation to generation.

The change of production and consumption paradigm becomes increasingly urgent for the health of the human being and the planet that hosts us.

It is essential that humankind uses his intelligence to return to harmony with nature.

Producing and consuming better, in a healthier, cleaner, fairer and more durable way means making an increasing number of people enjoy quality, beauty and pleasure, while at the same time educating them to respect Mother Earth and all those who live there.

HOW WE DO BUSINESS
l’Opificio operates in the textile sector, it is a manufacturing activity that works highly valuable threads continuing an antique tradition standing out from competitors for its unique long-lasting products of high quality.

l’Opificio select the best yarns from which arise refined velvets and jacquard fabrics entirely made in Italy as they are designed and produced in house as well as sophisticated soft-furnishing home couture.

The production process covers all steps and guarantees fabric, velvet and home couture quality 100% Made in Italy.

 

OUR SUSTAINABILITY POLICY – THINK GLOBAL ACT LOCAL
We are aware of our role and we work daily with a glimpse to the future. This is the reason why we recognise some of the objective of the ONU Agenda2030.

The SDGs – Sustainable Development Goals – touched by our activity according to our view are:
5. Gender Equality;

6. Clean Water and Sanitation;

6.3.1 percentage of treated waste water;

6.4.1 variation of water efficiency over time;

7. Clean Energy;

7.2.1 renewable energy consumption;

7.3.1 energy intensity;

8. decent work and economic growth;

8.8 protection of workers’ rights and promotion of safe and secure environmental working areas;

12. Responsible consumption and  production;

12.4.2 per capita dangerous waste and percentage of treated dangerous waste, per typology of treatment;

12.5 By 2030 reduce substantially waste creation through prevention, recycle and reuse.

High quality depends on the huge effort in research of the raw materials and then on the skilled production process that often requires a long manufacturing time. This latter guarantees a respectful management of the natural fibre, worked with artisanal skills according to the requirement of the client.

WASTE
Since ever l’Opificio pays particular attention to reduce waste and scraps. Each scrap resulting from a production process has its path along with the circular economy. Threads, small rolls and testana are sold to companies that reuse them, whilst the mixt scraps are correctly wasted as textile waste.

Fabrics and/or velvets remains from the home couture collection, are used to create samplings, cuttings, small gadget and donated to charities that use them for small handmade products in therapeutical or rehabilitation centres.

Thanks to an internal logistic we have reduced the use of packaging normally required from one production phase to the other.

PACKAGING
For transport the company has chosen to use high quality resistant packaging. This is required as the product needs to be handled with car. By doing so packaging waste has been reduced to a minimum and because of the high quality of the boxes they can be reused this happening often by our clients too.
With respect to small packages, the company uses already certified recycled and recyclable packaging

The use of chemicals and colourants within the company are a secondary input and a support to respond to the clientele requests and guarantee the exact tone requested and to maintain -during the time- the textile consistency.

 

When using chemical products, l’Opificio is responsible and compliant, managing products that guarantee the best result, safety and security to the employees during the working process and health for the final user who will enjoy the final product for a long time. Chemicals are correctly wasted with the treated waste water coming from the dyeing department thanks to an active-muds system that allows the elimination of the small quantity of pollutants present cleaning up the water used during the production process.

 

TEXTILE WITHOUT FORMALDEHYDE

l’Opificio textiles do not contain formaldehyde or any other kind of toxic substances.

This as we believe in the strength of an ethical and responsible craftmanship.

We proof that you don’t need any toxic substances to make the textiles smooth, vivid, strong and beautiful.

Formaldehyde is the simplest aldehyde, it is a chemical formula CH2O or HCHO, and its CAS number is 50-00-0. In 37% aqueous solution is commercially called formalin. In these terms it can be confused with the generic definition of a chemical commonly used substance: in fact, it is for domestic use but with a very high rate of toxicity by contact and inhalation.

The International fellowships for cancer research, the IARC, have included it in the list of carcinogenic substances since 2004: the exposure to large quantities of formaldehyde is in fact potentially lethal.

For the reasons that we have just talked about we could think that the formaldehyde is banned from the commerce but unfortunately it isn’t. By law, using this substance is not allowed in great measure but the use in low dosages is permitted, so the danger for health is not reset.

It is used as a potent bactericidal in household disinfectants and in many products as glues, resins, solvents, insulating foams, in food preservative and (unbeknown of consumers) also in the textile production where it is employed to improve the dimensional stability and the crease resistance neglecting its harmful effects.

 

To use textiles for interiors without any formaldehyde reduces the risk of “SBS – Sick Building Syndrome”, the illness depending from the quality of the inside air of a space. There are many different records about this illness one of which is the “outgassing” which means the emission from some materials, among which also the ones derived form textiles used for sofas and interiors, normally using formaldehyde..