Sustainability
Responsible Design and Circularity

We are committed to reducing the environmental impact of our products and to promoting circular economy principles

Lower-impact materials

The brands of the OTB Group work to promote the use of lower-impact materials and processes, through the use of specific guidelines shared with the procurement and product development departments. These guidelines also consider the objectives of the Group Sustainability Strategy, the demands of the main markets and industry best practices. The aim is to expand the offer of responsible products, while guaranteeing quality standards and respecting the brands’ identity.

As a member of The Fashion Pact, OTB is committed to ensuring that 25% of the main materials used at Group level are low climate impact ones by 2025. In 2023, there was a significant rise in the use of certified materials that comply with environmental and animal welfare standards, reaching 17% of the total raw materials purchased (an increase of 4 percentage points from 2022).

Raw materials: Cotton

Cotton accounts for the largest share of raw materials purchased at Group level. In this context, OTB brands are committed to increasing the purchases of different types of cotton alternatives, such as organic, recycled and cotton from regenerative agriculture. In 2023, the purchases of alternative cotton represented 18% of total cotton purchased at Group level.

Raw materials purchased in 2023

Cotton

Polymers

Other materials

Leather

Wool

Organochemicals

Promoting circular economy business models

Promoting circular economy in the fashion system is pivotal to reduce the sector’s impact. At OTB, we are committed to promoting innovation and circular economy principles through pilot projects and initiatives, aimed at extending the products’ lifecycle, reflecting the DNA of each brand of the Group.

Our brands work to increase the use of recycled materials, the reuse of raw materials sourced from dead stock and warehouse remnants and to activate specific activities aimed at extending the products’ lifecycle, like post-sale garments’ repair and activities to incentivise their reuse.

To mention some key project developed by our brands, Diesel is working on several sustainability projects focused on pre- and post-consumption, such as its project to reuse production off-cuts in cooperation with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO). The project envisages the creation of a virtuous circle of fabric-cutting scraps, with the aim of strengthening the management and recycling of denim off-cuts through a mechanical recycling process. In addition, the brand continued to work on the “Diesel Second Hand” project for the recovery and resale of the brand's used denim products. Currently, garment collection is available at all Diesel mono-brand stores in Italy, while Diesel second-hand products are available for sale throughout Europe on the e-commerce website diesel.com.

Marni, assisted by Staff International, launched a pilot collaboration scheme with the CAUTO social cooperative. About 20 pallets of various materials were delivered to the CAUTO cooperative, and manually separated for reuse or recycling in cooperation with partner Berbrand.

RE.CREA Consortium

In August 2022, the Re.Crea Consortium was established by the OTB Group together with Dolce&Gabbana, Max Mara Fashion Group, Moncler Group, Prada Group, Ermenegildo Zegna Group and the coordination of the Italian National Chamber of Fashion (CNMI), in response to the European Directive on “Extended Producer Responsibility for Textile Waste (EPR)” and related national legislation currently being defined. The Re.Crea Consortium is active in the management of end-of-life textile and fashion products and in the promotion of research and development of innovative solutions to recycle materials.

Spreading a sustainability culture

The OTB Group recognises the fundamental role of education to reach the Sustainability Strategy targets. For this reason, we are promoting specific courses aimed at teaching sustainability principles to ensure its easier integration into the collections development.

Some companies of the Group have developed internal training activities for the Style and Product teams focused on Ecodesign and the principles of circular design, to ensure their integration from the earliest design stages.

The Value Chain

At OTB, we believe that a supply chain based on cooperation, trust and respect is crucial for the production of a quality product