The Marchi & Fildi Group has released the results of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) carried out by Istituto per la Certificazione Etica ed Ambientale (ICEA), to quantify the energy consumptions of the dyeing process at the group’s Magnonevolo, Biella, plant.

This plant was totally refurbished in 2018 with an investment of EUR 1.5 million, with the goal of lowering dyehouse environmental impact, both for the production of the whole Marchi & Fildi Group and for third parties.

The study puts looks at the economics of the dyeing process of a particular type of yarn (cotton blended with noble fibres) which represents about 50% of the total production of the mill. The product is considered to be expensive and with a high environmental impact, due to high water and energy consumption requirements.

The analysis was carried out comparing the consumption of a traditional 20-year-old dyeing plant with that of the new Marchi & Fildi system. The reduction of energy and water requirements is related to:

- Latest technology with machinery produced by the Company OBEM (located in Biella)

- Formula of chemical products and dyestuffs able to reduce the energy needs

The environmental benefits associated with this process for each kilogram of dyed yarn can be quantified on average as follows:

- 48% less water: the water comes from deep groundwater and has a high purity. After the dyeing process, it is depurated according to a protocol, which is stricter than the common European legislation and aligned with the ZDHC parameters

- 57% less energy, from renewable and non-renewable resources. The brand-new plant contributes to this important parameter thanks to the reduction of energy needs up to 33%, while solar panels provide renewable energy for the production processes

- 43% less steam used to warm up the water

- 38% lower total consumption of resources used in the whole dyeing process

To give an indication of the total reduction of the environmental impact of the dyeing mill, the average consumption of water in one year is about 55 million litres compared to 105 million necessary for a traditional dyeing system, resulting in 50 million litres being saved in one year.

With respect to annual gas consumption, the average saving is about 580,000 cubic metres per year. The plant needs about 770,000 cubic metres in one year, while a traditional plant would have a 1,350,000 cubic metres consumption.

“We started our way to the sustainability more than 20 years ago with the development of the ECOTEC* technology. The benefits relative to this LCA Study are only the latest step that highlights the continuous commitment of our group for the environmental protection,” commented Massimo Marchi, President, Marchi & Fildi - Filidea.

Marchi & Fildi SpA was founded in 2007, merging two influential Italian spinning mills, Filatura Marchi and Fildi, run by the entrepreneurial Marchi and Dissegna families. In 2008 Marchi & Fildi SpA and Abalıoğlu Holding A.Ş., a Turkish CSA Holding company, established Filidea, a dynamic company that soon became an international leader in the field of technical and performance yarns in blends with natural and manmade fibres, raw white and dyed.

Marchi & Fildi is an international company with an annual turnover of over EUR 65 million and an average annual growth rate of 9%. The group is focused on the production of worsted and carded yarns for hosiery, circular knitting and weaving with ring spun, core spun, sirospun, worsted and open-end technologies. Its technical yarns cover the major application fields of protective-wear, workwear, home textiles, automotive, filtration, fashion and tailor-made products, trading and dyeing.

*ECOTEC is an innovative production process developed by Marchi & Fildi that creates new yarns by upcycling pre and post-consumer textile clippings and plastic bottles. According to the company, all yarns produced through the ECOTEC process have a lower impact on the environment – with 46.9% less energy consumed, 46.6% less CO2 emissions and 61.6% less water used in production.

Marchi & Fildi Website