Safilo and Aquafil to Produce Eco-sustainable Eyewear

Friday, February 21 2020 | 11 h 00 min | News

Safilo announces the introduction of ECONYL® regenerated nylon in its eyewear collections, thanks to a pioneering partnership with Aquafil, a recognized global player with over half a century of expertise in creating synthetic fibres.

ECONYL® is a regenerated nylon obtained through the regeneration and purification process of plastic waste, such as fishing nets, old carpets, and fabric scraps. ECONYL®, obtained through a process of depolymerization and re-polymerisation, performs exactly the same as brand new nylon and it can be recycled, recreated and remoulded again and again, with no loss of quality.

The choice of this material, never before used in the mass production of eyewear, is a tangible sign of Safilo’s further progression in its sustainability strategy and its commitment to bring innovation to a consolidated industry.

“Our investment to using recycled materials highlights our continued efforts towards promoting a responsible business,” explains Angelo Trocchia, CEO of Safilo Group. “This sustainable material will allow us to make our contribution and create products without using new resources. Our intention is to expand the use of ECONYL® as much as possible in order to decrease our carbon footprint.”

“Safilo has a long history of creating high-quality eyewear products, and we are happy to partner with such a strong player in the eyewear industry,” said Giulio Bonazzi, Aquafil’s CEO. “It is a completely new sector in which our ECONYL® material is now used, and it is this pioneering spirit that most unites us with a company like Safilo, which, like us, has innovation in its DNA.”

The new TOMMY JEANS eyewear collection, recently launched by Tommy Hilfiger, is the first that features styles made of ECONYL® regenerated nylon. Safilo will progressively introduce this material also in its other brands’ collections.

Click HERE for the full press release.