Swiss Riri Group, a fashion accessories manufacturer with zipper and button brands Riri, Meras and Cobrax, is introducing the use of recycled polyester as the production standard for its zipper range. Riri’s slogan “Excellence in Details” becomes “Sustainability in Details,” representing the company’s commitment to putting sustainability first. By using recycled polyester as the production standard for the zipper range, the contribution to sustainability, according to Riri, on a quantitative level will be as follows:
- The company will reduce emissions generated by the purchase of polyester by 32 percent; thus, the carbon footprint in zipper production will be reduced by 3 percent. This will save 460,000 kg of CO2 per year.
- All recycled polyester is GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certified.
- The recycled polyester used in the tapes for the zippers is made from recycled polyester fibers, both pre-consumer (20 percent) and post-consumer (80 percent).
The measures taken are expected to help increase the global use of recycled polyester from 14 percent to 20 percent by 2030, as indicated by Textile Exchange.
Riri’s main competitor in the segment, YKK, had published a sustainability roadmap in October 2020 and plans to switch to 100 percent sustainable textile materials (recycled materials, naturally derived materials, etc.) by 2030.
