Corertex: A New Chapter in Textile Reuse and Recycling
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November 27, 2023In the challenging post-flood scenario, businesses affiliated with Corertex, the Consortium for Textile Reuse and Recycling based in the Province of Prato, are facing significant challenges.
Various members of the consortium in Montemurlo have suffered significant damage to their warehouses and materials. In this situation, Corertex has not only mobilized to support the recovery of the damaged activities, but also to promote targeted political actions to ensure both the provision of financial aid and the actual implementation of the moratorium on loans and mortgages. Corertex President Raffaello De Salvo expressed these concerns during a private discussion with Fausta Bergamotto, the Undersecretary for Made in Italy, in Prato: “There are still too many banks that do not apply the 12-month suspension to loans and credits.” De Salvo further reported: “Many entrepreneurs are told that there are still no specific directives,” De Salvo added. “And therefore, for the time being, they must continue to pay.” Despite positive signals from the government, the Tuscany Region, and consumer associations indicating the possibility of requesting a suspension by simply submitting a self-declaration of damage, the practical situation remains critical. De Salvo has called on the government to exert pressure on the banks: “It will take time to receive the relief funds, so the simplest way to support entrepreneurs is to postpone their tax, loan, and financing deadlines. Many have activated post-Covid support forms with banks, also thanks to state guarantees, and therefore stopping the payments becomes crucial for the district’s restart,” he emphasized.
Although the atmosphere was festive, the event also served as a forum for open debate, as there are certainly no shortage of unresolved issues in the textile sector. “The consortium’s work continues relentlessly,” states De Salvo, “despite the political landscape, both nationally and at the European level, currently appearing stationary. News regarding the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is slow to come, further stalling any updates on related regulations.”
During the meeting with Bergamotto, crucial topics for the textile sector were also discussed, such as extended producer responsibility and the protection of Made in Italy. Corertex is deeply involved in these issues, participating in specific parliamentary and ministerial sessions. De Salvo stated, “The meeting was interesting and productive,” De Salvo explains. “I had the opportunity to present the Italian excellence of the Prato textile district, focusing on the reuse and recycling supply chain in anticipation of future changes in textile waste. On this occasion, I renewed Corertex’s commitment to collaborate with institutions at all levels in drafting the future EPR decree: regarding the environmental sustainability of textiles, reuse and recycling are in our DNA and a heritage of Made in Italy.” The Honorable Chiara La Porta of Fratelli d’Italia, present at the event, emphasized: “One of the peculiarities of our district,” added the Honorable Chiara La Porta of Fratelli d’Italia, present at the meeting, “is precisely the system, well-honed over decades, of recycling and reuse. A virtuous system, which is at the heart of our businesses. We trust that we will soon be able to work on the future EPR decree, in order to protect and ensure this methodology that has made our industry great in the world.”
