Diesel awarded for circular economy at the Camera della Moda Sustainable Fashion Awards

Milan, 22 September 2024 – DIESEL, part of the OTB Group, received the Circular Economy Award presented by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation as part of the 2024 Sustainable Fashion Awards organised by Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana. The award ceremony was held this evening at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, at the close of Milan Fashion Week.

In line with its sustainability strategy FOR RESPONSIBLE LIVING, DIESEL has distinguished itself through its approach to circularity and, in particular, through the DIESEL Rehab Denim and Diesel Second Hand projects, as well as the collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).

“I am very proud to receive this award because I consider sustainability as a state of mind and this is what I try to convey to all our teams. Fashion is one of the most polluting industries, and I am convinced that we must all play our part in reducing its impact on the planet. At Diesel we are working hard in this direction, and I am satisfied with the results we have achieved. The circularity initiatives awarded today include Diesel Rehab Diesel, an example of how, through innovative technologies, beautiful products can be created using waste materials. However, sustainability is not just about recycled fabric; it is also about thinking and acting responsibly towards the environment and towards people. I believe in a circular business model where a company creates, produces, sells, collects and returns a portion of the value to the community: this, in my view, is sustainability,” commented Renzo Rosso, Founder and Chairman of OTB Group and Founder of DIESEL.

DIESEL Rehab Denim is the first line made by the brand with more than 60% recycled cotton, partly from its own pre-consumer waste that is sent to Spanish partner and supplier Tejidios Royo. Here, they are processed into new fibres together with innovative recycled materials (TENCEL™ Lyocell with REFIBRA™ technology and recycled elastane). The resulting fabric is then dyed without water, using 65% less energy and 90% less chemicals than traditional dyeing methods thanks to the supplier’s Dry Indigo^® technology. Diesel Rehab Denim was again included in the collection presented at Diesel’s latest fashion show, following its debut in the Fall/Winter ’22 fashion show.

In cooperation with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and in the context of the SwitchMed initiative, DIESEL has also developed a project to establish a closed-loop recycling system in Tunisia. By the end of 2024, 88,000 pairs of jeans made using at least 20% recycled fibres, derived from cutting waste from a Tunisian supplier’s processing operations, will be brought to market.

The brand has also made a mark with its “Diesel Second Hand” initiative, a project created to extend the life of DIESEL-branded denim garments, which can be returned by customers to Italian flagship stores and then resold, after being reconditioned, through the brand’s e-commerce site throughout Europe. Launched in 2021, this project was also extended to Japan in 2023 with a dedicated format.