Moschino, Alberta Ferretti Parent Aeffe Becomes a Water Defenders Alliance Member
MILAN — After in April unveiling its 2023 Non-Financial Report detailing its sustainability efforts, Aeffe SpA revealed Wednesday on World Environment Day that it has joined the Water Defenders Alliance, the first fashion company to become part of the network.
Established by LifeGate, a benefit company promoting sustainability in Italy and counting on a 5-million-people community, the Water Defenders Alliance is committed to safeguarding the Italian marine environment.
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It aims to raise awareness among companies, citizens, institutions and the academic world and spearhead concrete, science-based and measurable initiatives.
As part of its pledge in joining the alliance, Aeffe, the parent company of the Moschino, Alberta Ferretti, Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini and Pollini brands, is installing a Seabin in the waters of Marina di Cattolica, the harbor of Cattolica, the fashion group’s hometown in Italy’s Emilia Romagna region.
The device works all day and can collect up to 500 kilograms of waste a year, including microplastics down to 2 millimeters in diameter and microfibers of 0.3 millimeters. Strategically placed in a spot of the harbor where currents naturally funnel waste, the Seabin is equipped with a pump that absorbs 25,000 liters of water an hour. The latter is filtered, cleared of waste and reinjected into the sea.
“We are proud to be joining LifeGate’s Water Defenders Alliance with this project, which marks a further step in our strategy geared at enhancing the sustainability of the Aeffe Group’s operations, reducing their environmental impact,” said Pasquale Apicella, the fashion company’s sustainability manager. The executive, previously at swimwear brand Arena, joined the Italian fashion group in January 2023.
As reported, Aeffe SpA’s 2023 Non-Financial Report unveiled detailed the publicly listed company’s sustainability strategy hinged on three pillars — “Planet & Environment,” “Product & Supply Chain” and “People & Community” — all aligned with the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs.
LifeGate estimates that 570,000 tons of plastics are tossed into the Mediterranean Sea each year. These include microplastics, which have largely been proven as the most harmful component, as well as the hardest to get rid of.
To this end, as part of its sustainability commitment, Aeffe SpA has shifted its sourcing of plastic for its protective bags to post-industrial recycled sources and replaced 28 percent of virgin plastic used for beachwear-intended polybags to recycled alternatives from the spring 2024 collection delivered last year. E-commerce packaging has green credentials, too, as it avoids the use of virgin plastic and employs FSC-approved paper for 58 percent of boxes and 90 percent of paper sheets.
“The Mediterranean Sea, albeit small compared to the world’s oceans, is considered a unique biodiversity hot spot on the planet. It’s our and fashion’s precise responsibility to safeguard it,” said Lajal Andreoletti, LifeGate’s head of socioenvironmental projects.
He praised Aeffe SpA for joining the alliance, noting how the company represents the excellence of Made in Italy committed to creating beauty.
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