At Candiani Denim, stretch fabric is a family tradition. In the ‘80s, we pioneered stretch denim, which was revolutionizing the industry. Three decades later, Candiani Denim launched COREVA™, the first plant-based compostable and biodegradable stretch denim worldwide, manufactured with natural rubber and without chemicals and microplastics.
The impact of textile waste on the environment
COREVA™ aims to reduce some of the most alarming problems in the fashion industry, starting with the impact of textile waste on the environment. Around 25 billion unworn garments end up in landfills or are burned annually. Moreover, approximately 71% of manufactured clothing contains synthetic fibers. Jeans are also made with petroleum-based synthetic materials and can then need hundreds of years to biodegrade. Thanks to COREVA™, change starts and ends with nature.
Alberto Candiani, president of Candiani Denim, was inspired to develop COREVA™ in 2015 while looking for cold cuts in the local delicatessen of Robecchetto con Induno, close to Milan. Candiani noticed a natural rubber was used to wrap salami and wondered how to introduce a similar material in denim fabric production.
The first biodegradable and compostable stretch denim
COREVA™, the first plant-based compostable and biodegradable stretch denim worldwide, came to life after five years of research and development, needed to test the new product’s performance, quality, and durability. This innovative technology was patented by Candiani Denim and uses stretch yarns earned from natural rubber instead of synthetic ones. Organic cotton wraps around the natural rubber core, shaping a plastic-free product without compromising the fabric’s quality, elasticity, and durability.
“In a world where resources are diminishing and landfills are overflowing with discarded garments, we must look for renewable resources, in addition to biodegradable and compostable materials. Denim has to take the lead of this revolution”, Alberto Candiani explained. At Candiani Denim, we are well-known for our commitment to sustainable innovation and ongoing efforts to develop revolutionary technologies. Circularity is our next big challenge, and COREVA™ is one of the solutions.
COREVA™ has been approved by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), the global leader in certifying products linked to sustainable fashion, ethical clothing, and fair production, following a set of well-defined and transparent criteria.
A game changer for a sustainable and circular fashion
COREVA™ is a game changer in the denim industry transition towards sustainable and circular fashion. Candiani Denim is one of the main leaders and promoters of this change. Never during their life cycle, from manufacturing to use, COREVA™ fabrics release toxic chemicals, plastics, or microplastics into the environment since they do not contain elastane, the synthetic material traditionally used in stretch denim.
The new Candiani Denim’s technology was designed having in mind products’ end-of-life. COREVA™ fabrics can biodegrade in less than six months, turning into mature compost. They can also be used as fertilizers to grow those raw materials that will create future fabrics, linking denim to regenerative agriculture and closing a perfectly circular loop with a positive environmental impact. Its effectiveness as a fertilizer is indeed up to 23.9% higher than the reference standard.