00:00My hometown was recycling fabrics for a long time. It was a strong tradition, but it wasn't communicated.
00:08For us, it was crucial to take the tradition and to innovate.
00:12Sustainable fashion has to be a must for the future. The resources we have are not enough for everyone.
00:18We are wasting resources that our children won't have.
00:22What we are doing is spread awareness about the impact of fast fashion, building our future.
00:29We are working for our future generations.
00:32My name is Nicola Cipniani. I'm the founder and CEO of Refo.
00:43I was working in Vietnam. While I was there, I actually realized that there were two problems inside the fashion industry.
00:50Overproduction and overconsumption.
00:54This is why I decided to come back to Prato, my hometown.
00:59They have been recycling textile fibers for more than 100 years.
01:04What's crazy about the textile industry is maybe the third polluting industry in the world.
01:11We are buying much more clothes than what we need. We are producing much more clothes than we buy.
01:16So we are creating a lot of waste.
01:21What makes Refo different from other fashion brands is that we really pay attention to everything we produce.
01:28In terms of selling resources. In terms of not creating stock or creating waste.
01:34And we sell because we don't want to stimulate overconsumption.
01:40It's really important that we plan our resources in an efficient way.
01:45This is what sustainability means.
01:47To use the resources we have in the smartest way.
01:51Our recycling process starts from collecting.
01:56It can be pre-consumer or post-consumer collecting.
01:59Pre-consumer is production waste. It comes directly from warehouses.
02:04Post-consumer collecting comes from the households.
02:07Recycled production doesn't mean zero impact production.
02:11Normally to produce a 100% cotton t-shirt to 1700 liters of water consumed.
02:19In our case probably is around 1000.
02:23Since the beginning we were focusing on recycling.
02:26But then we realized we need to extend the life of a garment.
02:32This is why we created Lovelast where we gave a warranty of 3 years.
02:37In case there are some things to fix or something to repair.
02:42And it's free of charge.
02:48We are not here just for creating sweaters.
02:52The main activity we do is huge research and development.
02:57We are among the first in getting all the standards to have a sustainable company.
03:04Where sustainability comes first.
03:09The vocational training project Ne Nostri Panni was created to carry on traditions.
03:14It gives opportunity to vulnerable migrants that arrive in this territory
03:19to get integrated into the society.
03:23One year back we were invited to join Ne Nostri Panni.
03:27We had the chance to help people enter the sector.
03:32Sustainability is not just a matter of certifications or using some chemicals instead of others.
03:39But it's more a sense of purpose of the entire company.
03:44I am a worker.
03:46I participate in the Ne Nostri Panni project.
03:50I decided to leave my country, Nigeria, because I want a better life.
03:57With this experience that I have in this program, I'm going to be a very happy girl.
04:02I'm still working hard towards it.
04:05I've learned a lot.
04:06And if I leave this place tomorrow, I will have something to hold on to.
04:10The Prato Tessile tradition is unique.
04:15I believe that Rifo is a good practice, an excellent practice.
04:20We collaborate with Rifo.
04:22We have a session dedicated to circular fashion with videos that have been made in collaboration with Rifo.
04:30This company organizes some tours called Textile Tours.
04:37And of these tours, the museum is part of an integral part.
04:43It is helping us a lot to increase the awareness of people
04:49how these sustainability practices are already at the port of everyone.
04:55And so I believe that this courage serves
04:59and we need to spread the communication
05:03that these sustainable materials have already created.
05:09So if the brands want to use them, they are available.
05:14I think Rifo can inspire other industries
05:19in the way we manage production,
05:22the way we produce,
05:24in the way we manage our packaging,
05:27our stock houses,
05:29and in the way we manage our relationship.
05:32What we are doing now is building our future.
05:35It's important that everyone understand this
05:37and that we are shaping our future when we buy a product.
05:41In our small world, we have created a positive impact.
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