The European Union is supporting a pioneering industrial initiative, known as “ReFilés” in French, which aims to establish the first circular value chain for tights in Europe. The Re-Tights project brings together major players in fashion and logistics, including Italian legwear giant Golden Lady, hosiery and retail powerhouse Calzedonia, its manufacturing subsidiary Ytres, postal logistics expert Asendia, and textile recycler Union Industries.
The initiative uses chemical separation technology to recover polyamide fibres from used tights. Each recycling machine developed for the project has the capacity to process up to 1.6 million pairs of tights annually. The system leverages the specific expertise of each partner, creating an integrated approach from collection to production.
Used tights are collected in Calzedonia stores, with logistics managed by Asendia. Golden Lady, working with Union Industries, handles the separation and recycling process, producing polyamide yarn comparable in quality to virgin yarn. Calzedonia, through its Ytres subsidiary, then manufactures new tights, spanning everyday essentials to more creative designs.
Project leaders noted that the Re-Tights initiative seeks to create a reproducible and sustainable model that could be applied to other complex textile products. They emphasised that the project is supported by the LIFE programme, the European Commission’s financial instrument dedicated to funding innovative environmental and climate protection initiatives.
In 2024, the European market for stockings and tights is estimated to have reached 402 million pairs, generating approximately US $ 5.9 billion in revenue.
In France, Calzedonia operates around 230 outlets. The brand is part of the Oniverse group, which also owns Intimissimi, Tezenis, and Falconeri. In 2024, Oniverse reported total sales growth of 13.5% compared with 2023, exceeding US $ 3.8 billion.
Bharat Tex Special Report 2026 
