ABSTRACT:

In Tuscany there is a large industrial area known as the Prato textile district. Considered the world capital of recycled wool, Prato has artisanal production capabilities in a circular economy context whose district has more than 34,000 employees, 2.000 companies (Beste Spa & Beste Hub, Nuova Fratelli Boretti, Filpucci, Progetto Lana etc.) and it produces approximately 3 million meters of fabric per day. 

Prato companies have been collecting bales of rags for decades, of which over 50% is destined for reuse, a part for recycling and 3% ends up in landfill. The selection of rags takes place in warehouses which house an enormous quantity of raw material used to obtain a specific color. The latter, carefully selected by the eyes and expert hands of the "cenciaioli", is then prepared for the regeneration process: washing, shredding, purification and drying have the final result of a single-colored fibre, similar to virgin wool, which can then be spun into threads to produce fine fabrics. Therefore, what was considered dirty waste instead becomes a high-quality good and a symbol of sustainable industrial production.

Prato's socio-economic awareness and commitment is a concrete example of how tradition and innovation, humans and technology can mix in a unique reality in which work, territory and solutions are aimed at environmental sustainability. The Prato district is in stark contrast with the speed of consumption of today's society and with the environmental impact of fast fashion, responsible for around 20% of global pollution and huge landfills scattered across the African continent.