Selle Royal unveils new Stracciatella technology

Following extensive research, Selle Royal has presented its new Stracciatella technology, a development which, the brand states, “represents a significant step toward a more circular and responsible production process for the business”.

Stracciatella technology represents a method for the recovery of waste materials from production to be transformed into granules that are then integrated into the foam padding of new saddles, significantly reducing waste in the production process.

This new technology will first be introduced in the brand’s Lookin family of saddles, with plans for introduction to other saddle lines to follow.

How did Stracciatella technology come about?

Starting from the principle that real change can only come from data analysis and a perspective shift based on a scientific approach, the development started with an in-depth analysis of production cycles and the supply chain.

According to Selle Royal’s Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) applied to over 13,000 industrial processes, 65% of a saddle’s CO2 emissions are linked to raw materials.

The company has begun to use alternative organic or recycled materials in its products alongside the new Stracciatella technology, which reduces emissions by recycling waste materials.

Collect. Crush. Re-foam: How Stracciatella works.

Saddle production, like any industrial process, inevitably generates waste from product testing, machinery adjustments, production defects, and specific chemical reactions in the foam polymerization process.

Due to their mixed composition, these semi-finished products made from complex materials—such as PVC covers, PP/PA bases, PU foam, and Royalgel—are typically difficult to recycle.

After years of research and development, Selle Royal overcame this challenge, transforming this waste into a new granular material (named “Stracciatella”, after the famous Italian chocolate chip ice cream), allowing it to be reintegrated into the production cycle as foam for new saddles.

Matteo Mason, manufacturing and technology director at Selle Royal Group, who led the development of Stracciatella, explains: “Setting ourselves the ambitious goal of reusing this material with inseparable components, we took inspiration from other industries to attempt completely new processes never before tested in the saddle sector. These range from grinding these objects in their entirety to adapting existing production machinery, all while preserving comfort in the final product.”

Culture, Vision, and Commitment

In line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement, and the Shift Cycling Culture Climate Commitment – of which Selle Royal Group is one of the first signatories – Selle Royal is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 through the implementation of measurable and far-reaching steps.

This commitment is part of a concrete action plan, starting with a detailed analysis of the company’s environmental impact and culminating in the Group’s first Sustainability Report (2021-2023). Stracciatella technology is one of the key initiatives supporting these goals by reducing production waste and optimizing resource use.

“For the Group and the brand, the Stracciatella product project makes our commitment to a more sustainable production model tangible and reduces the environmental impact of what we design and create.

“It will be a long journey, but we believe we are on the right path, motivated by a long-term vision toward a new industrial model that is now more necessary than ever,” says Riccardo Losio, strategy and brands director of Selle Royal Group.

The Future

The Stracciatella process is in continuous development and is expected to be widely applied to Selle Royal’s production lines and product range.

With new machinery being implemented and ongoing experimentation on other uses of the granulate, the company is ready to further expand this patented technology, with the goal of making it an integral part of future production and the company’s long-term vision.