EU Project ReTights Weaves Europe's First Circular Economy for Tights
Backed by the European Union, the ambitious Re-Tights industrial initiative, known as “ReFilés” in French, is pioneering a groundbreaking effort to establish Europe's first comprehensive circular value chain specifically for tights. This innovative project brings together a consortium of prominent industry leaders spanning fashion, manufacturing, and logistics. Key partners include the renowned Italian legwear manufacturer Golden Lady, the hosiery and retail giant Calzedonia along with its manufacturing arm Ytres, the essential postal logistics specialist Asendia, and the expert textile recycler Union Industries, all collaborating towards a shared sustainable vision.
At the heart of the Re-Tights project lies a sophisticated chemical separation technology designed to efficiently recover high-quality polyamide fibers from used tights. Each advanced machine developed for this purpose boasts an impressive capacity, capable of recycling up to 1.6 million pairs of tights annually. The success of this intricate system is largely due to the specific and complementary expertise contributed by each project partner, ensuring a seamless and effective recycling pipeline from collection to new product creation.
The circular process initiated by Re-Tights is meticulously structured to maximize efficiency and material recovery. The journey begins with the collection of used tights directly from consumers at Calzedonia stores, with the complex logistics of transportation and aggregation expertly managed by Asendia. Subsequently, Golden Lady, a leading manufacturer of yarn and tights, collaborates closely with Union Industries to perform the crucial separation and recycling of these collected garments. Their jointly designed process is specifically engineered to produce polyamide yarn that achieves a quality comparable to virgin yarn, closing the loop effectively. Finally, Calzedonia, leveraging its manufacturing subsidiary Ytres, takes responsibility for the production of entirely new tights, offering a diverse range from essential styles to more creative and fashionable designs, all made from recycled materials.
Beyond its immediate scope, the Re-Tights initiative harbors a significant broader ambition. Project leaders, with robust support from the LIFE programme—the European Commission’s dedicated financial instrument for innovative environmental and climate protection projects—aim to develop a reproducible and sustainable model. This prototype circular economy framework, once proven effective for complex textile products like tights, could potentially be adapted and applied to a wide array of other challenging textile waste streams across the industry, driving widespread environmental benefits and resource efficiency.
This innovative endeavor operates within a substantial and dynamic market. In 2024, the European market for stockings and tights was estimated to have reached an impressive 402 million pairs, translating into approximately €5.5 billion in revenue for the last financial year. Calzedonia, a pivotal partner in the Re-Tights project, maintains a robust presence on the French market, operating a network of approximately 230 retail outlets. The brand is part of the larger Oniverse group, which also owns other well-known labels such as Intimissimi, Tezenis, and Falconeri. Demonstrating significant financial strength and market growth, Oniverse reported a substantial 13.5% increase in its total sales in 2024 compared to 2023, exceeding €3.5 billion.
