When summer arrives, what is asked of a shirt is that it wicks away sweat and dries quickly. Two characteristics that I found in this innovative garment, born from the collaboration between two Italian companies: Tecso, specialized in sportswear, and Eurolast, owner of the Repetita yarn, obtained from the recycling of plastic bottles.
The shirt is soft, comfortable, with the right degree of elasticity and allows optimal mobility. Almost impalpable once worn, it does exactly what you expect from a summer product: it expels sweat during climbs and dries quickly.
Repetita, where it comes from
The real innovation of this shirt lies in the material with which it is made: the yarn called Repetita, produced by the Italian Eurolast. The data shows how the qualities of this material and its processing allow very low values to be obtained with regards to RET (evaporative resistance) and RTC (thermal resistance), two crucial factors for summer jerseys.
How Repetita yarn is obtained
We reached out by phone David Bianchi of Eurolast to help us better explain where this yarn comes from and why its origin is so important. The idea was born in 2014, but became a brand in 2018, when Repetita was born.
The short supply chain and the possibility of reusing waste products make this material highly sustainable. In fact, there are three main steps:
- Plastic transformation: The plastic is transformed into a reusable granule which, depending on subsequent processing, can become any product.
- Extrusion: The granule is extruded to obtain the yarn.
- Secondary: The yarn is then used to make the garment. In some cases, there are additional steps to follow the directions of the company requesting the yarns.
In the case of the shirt in question, Eurolast supplied the yarn, which was then adapted by Tecso.
Why plastic bottles?
In addition to the very short supply chain, another decisive factor for the choice of plastic bottles is the fact that they are a material already designed to house the water we drink. This makes it much safer and free from the release of microplastics, ensuring a safe and sustainable final product.
This garment represents an example of how sustainability and innovation can go hand in hand, offering practical solutions for environmentally conscious athletes.
Info: https://www.tecsosport.com/
