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The Ethical Award given to Sidónios by Première Vision in 2018 is the proof that the bet on sustainability it’s a part of the company’s roots – it’s no coincidence that the group is the largest European manufacturer of cupro circular knitwear, an 100% eco-friendly fibre made from cotton seeds.
The cupro knitwear is just one of many examples of Sidónios’ sustainable offer, which prides itself on being one of the largest customers of an Italian flax producer, and is increasingly using other green raw materials such as bamboo, and recycled lyocell and polyester.
“We have to be careful because there are people out there selling a pig in a poke”, warns Sidónio Silva, 57, the leader of Sidónios, who is approving in Lenzing yarn made from 70% lyocel and 30% refibre (an 100% cotton fibre made from textile waste), and also from refibre with flax and with cotton.
Respecting the environment does not necessarily imply compromising quality, especially because buying less, but betting on products with higher quality and durability is one of the commandments of the new consumer canon.
“If we want a quality product, we cannot use a very high percentage of recycled cotton. For safety, we go for blends with 30% to 40% recycled cotton combined with virgin cotton wool,” concludes Sidónio Silva, a green businessman pleased with the progress that the entire industry has made in this field: “There are already high quality recycled polyesters similar to the original”.