2020 MAGLIA ROSA

SITIP TURNS THE GIRO D’ITALIA GREEN: FOR THE FIRST TIME THE “MAGLIA ROSA” IS MADE OF RECYCLED YARN

 From plastic bottles to eco-friendly fabric. The four leader jerseys are made of high-performance fabric in recycled yarn.

Cene (BG), 20 September 2020 – The Giro d’Italia scheduled for 3 to 25 October 2020 will be remembered not only as the edition that was held in the autumn instead of the spring because of Covid-19, but also as the one with a low environmental impact. For the first time in grand tour history, the leading jerseys will be eco-friendly. All four are made with a recycled polyester yarn derived mostly from recycled plastic bottles. The fabric was produced by Sitip Spa, a company from Bergamo and world leader in the production of warp knitted and circular knitted fabrics for the technical textile sector.

The “Maglia rosa”, along with the purple, blue and white jerseys, to be worn by the top cyclists in their respective categories (general, points, climbers and under 25), are made of Sitip fabric obtained from recycled yarns certified in accordance with the GRS – Global Recycled Standard: an international and voluntary textile industry certification guaranteeing that the products are made from recycled materials and that environmental and social responsibility criteria have been met throughout the production chain.

This is not the first time Sitip has focused on sustainable projects. In recent years, Sitip has invested over €25 million in rolling out overall environmentally sustainable production, from the research and development of new green techniques and materials to various structural investments, such as the optimisation and unification of production areas and plants, the installation of three last-generation smoke suppression systems and a new cogeneration system:

“In 2013, we began pursuing numerous strategies for the environment, starting in our local area, where we have reorganised production and logistics spaces to create a single, more energy-efficient facility,” explained Sitip’s managing director Giancarlo Pezzoli. “Over time, investments have also included many internal departments, with new dyeing machines, water heaters, air conditioning units and LED lighting systems. These projects have led to a sharp reduction in our consumption of natural gas and electricity and the CO₂ emissions into the environment.”

The recycled yarns used for the Giro jerseys are one of the many elements that underscore the company’s attention to the environment. Even Sitip’s production uses chemicals with a reduced environmental impact, but that’s not all. Sustainability also includes periodic checks of raw materials and processes, as well as research and development of new sustainable production practices. This focus on the environment also extends to the company’s participation in initiatives, in the supply chain, again to reduce and offset CO₂ emissions – such as the Carbon Neutrality Program in collaboration with Alcantara and its participation in the Seaqual initiative for the recovery of marine plastics.

In addition to the GRS – Global Recycle Standard, the company is certified in accordance with ISO 9001-2015 (quality management systems), ISO 14001 (environmental management systems), Bluesign (for environmentally friendly production and use of safe chemicals), Oeko- Tex (for environmentally friendly fabrics and production free of harmful substances). In May 2020, Sitip also joined and registered with the ZDHC platform, a rigorous program for the development of safer chemical processes within the textile supply chain.

“All of Sitip’s fabrics for sportswear are developed to meet the needs of athletes and improve various levels of comfort: physiological, sensory and biological. We have poured all our technical know-how and utmost care for the environment into the development of our fabrics for the Giro jerseys, in line with the principles and policies of a circular economy, in which the company firmly believes,” concluded Silvana Pezzoli, vice president and commercial director of Sitip.

As an Official Supplier of the Giro d’Italia since 2014, with the supply of fabrics for the 2020 jerseys, Sitip thus reinforces its ties to cycling. This is another chance to demonstrate its significant expertise in the production of highly technical sportswear fabrics used by the biggest international active brands.

Producing the jerseys for the top cyclists at the Giro d’Italia is Manifattura Valcismon of Fonzaso (BL) with the Castelli brand.