#INDEX 20

2021-10-18

RadiciGroup at INDEX with new nonwovens

RadiciGroup's nonwoven innovations are on display at the INDEX trade fair (stand 2629), to be held from 19 to 22 October 2021 in Geneva, Switzerland. Active in the spunbond production business for more than 30 years with the dylar® product line, the Group is introducing Respunsible®, a reduced environmental impact spunbond made from recycled polypropylene, and radimelt™, the brand name for the Group’s line of meltblown nonwovens and composite materials (e.g., SMS).

Enhanced portfolio with spunbond from recyclate and meltblown: sustainability and performance, the keywords at the fair

“Compared to the last edition of the fair," said Enrico Buriani, CEO of the RadiciGroup Nonwovens Business Line, "we are introducing new products that, on the one hand, satisfy the ever-increasing demand for sustainability coming from our target markets, and, on the other hand, meet the need for local European industries to manufacture meltblown nonwoven, a material with extremely high filtering properties, until recently mostly imported from Asia.” Mr. Buriani continued: “Additionally, during the pandemic, we set out to use our dylar® as the main component of protective gowns for medical use. Starting from scratch and in record time, we set up a local supply chain for the production of personal protective equipment that is still going strong today and has led to the creation of a new business. In short, today we are at INDEX with a much more varied offering, which, I am proud to say, once again demonstrates the resilience of our Group."

Respunsible® is a spunbond made from recycled polypropylene, a material appreciated for its excellent chemical properties and its versatility. Its high technical performance makes it suitable for any application, even the most demanding ones in terms of resistance and duration.

Radimelt™ is the brand name identifying the Group’s meltblown nonwovens, materials used for the manufacture of protective face masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE). This nonwoven fabric has excellent filtration performance even for microscopic particles, such as viruses, and ensures breathability and protection.

In 2020, the Group made a sizeable investment in a new technologically advanced meltblown production line. The machinery is very versatile and can produce products endowed with special technical characteristics, not only from polypropylene but also other polymers, such as polyester, polyamide and TPU polymers, products that find application in the medical and filtration sectors.

“At the fair, we are exhibiting samples of our main products," Mr. Buriani concluded. "But, above all, we will be at our customers disposal, ready to work together to come up with tailor-made solutions that meet specific requirements, both in terms of product quality and performance and in terms of sustainability, the circular economy and a reduction in environmental impact. Our production site is certified according to the ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 standards and is 100% powered by green energy from the Group hydroelectric plants.”

RadiciGroup: 21st Sustainability Report published

RadiciGroup has published its 21st Sustainability Report, covering the year 2024, confirming more than two decades of transparency and measurement in the economic, environmental, and social dimensions. From its first Social Report in 2004 to the current reporting aligned with the GRI Universal Standards, the Group is now preparing for its next challenge: the adoption of the criteria that will be set out by the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).

Twenty years of Sustainability Report for RadiciGroup

The RadiciGroup Sustainability Report reaches an important milestone this year: twenty years have in fact passed since the Group published its first Social Report in 2004, qualifying it as one of the pioneering companies in the realisation of voluntary non-financial reporting. The document measures the Group’s achievements and the actions it has taken to reduce its environmental impact, respect social values, and implement good business management practices.

38th International Cotton Conference Bremen: Let´s Talk about Cotton!

The 38th International Cotton Conference Bremen, to be held on 25-27 March 2026 in Bremen’s parliament building on market square, once again sends a powerful signal for professional excellence and international dialogue. The focus is on the latest market trends and technical innovations throughout the entire value chain – from agriculture and quality assurance to processing and the circular economy. With its high-calibre speakers, the conference remains an indispensable forum for anyone involved in shaping the cotton industry scientifically, technically, or economically.

More safety and comfort for protective clothing thanks to auxetic fabrics

When everyday materials are pulled, they stretch or elongate in the direction of the pull and become narrower in cross-section. We can also observe this property in two-dimensional textiles. Auxetic structures behave differently here. They have the striking property of not changing under tensile stress or even increasing their width or thickness. These properties are advantageous, for example, in protective textiles or textile filter media. The DITF are researching auxetic fabrics for various applications.