Orange Fiber: fabrics made from orange peels

Two young Sicilian entrepreneurs have created a model company in the circular economy sector. One that even major brands appreciate.

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biodegradable orange dress vitamins

Fabrics made from orange peels: technology is making progress in the name of non-waste and fibres obtained from citrus waste are entering the fashion industry with an interesting project made in Italy, orange-fiber, an innovative start-up led by two young Sicilians, Adriana Santanocito and Enrica Arena.

Through a particular process, patented in collaboration with the Polytechnic University of Milan, the peels of orange are recovered and transformed into a yarn which is subsequently fabric.

The project is based on the idea of ​​doing something for one's own land, Sicily, and the valorisation of its products and its agriculture: hence the idea of ​​the innovative process which recovers orange peels, a by-product of squeezing, and reuses them for the production of special yarn. This way, what is technically called waste is reused in a sustainable way.

Pulp is a bulky waste product, difficult to dispose of due to its particularly high costs, and poses a problem for the entire citrus fruit supply chain.

From problem to resource: it happens that from peelings and then cellulose is extracted from the pulp which can be used for spinning. Through the Nanotechnology Furthermore, citrus essential oil is fixed on the fabrics and this allows the release of vitamins A and C onto the skin with important beneficial effects: the skin is nourished and hydrated. This feature is guaranteed for about twenty washes, although a refill method with specific softeners is currently being studied.

For some time now this company has managed to develop a unique collaboration: the Ferragamo Orange Fiber CollectionThe famous Italian designer Salvatore Ferragamo, in fact, in keeping with his motto, Responsible Passion, wanted to capture the essence and expressive potential of the citrus fabric, giving life to a fresh Capsule Collection, a tribute to Mediterranean creativity.

Among the advantages of producing orange-fiberIn terms of combating waste, there's also been a significant reduction in agricultural waste. The peel of a citrus fruit, in fact, accounts for about 60 percent of its total weight and must be disposed of regularly, impacting the waste chain by approximately 700 tons per year. Thanks to the Sicilian company, it can instead be sold and recycled.
But how do you wash Orange Fiber fabrics? To hand wash, simply fill a basin with warm water and an eco-friendly detergent. After soaking the clothes for about fifteen minutes, rinse them with cold, running water. Then wring them out lightly and hang them to dry. To machine wash, choose a delicate cycle, use a small amount of liquid detergent, and add a teaspoon of baking soda. Start the cycle and avoid spinning until the end of the wash cycle.

(The cover image is taken from the Orange Fiber Facebook page)

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