There was an interesting article in WWD recently titled "Denim Makers Adopt Eco-Friendly Methods". In the article, author Ross Tucker discusses the impact that denim production has on the environment and the techniques some companies are developing in order to minimize that impact. The most common technique with the highest consumer awareness is the use of organic cotton, but it "does little to change [the] numbers," according to the author. It's a worthy cause to purchase denim using cotton grown without the use of pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, but its important for those purchasing it to understand that truly organic cotton is a low-yield crop and can't support the world's demand for denim. But all is not lost. Some of the other techniques mentioned are very promising.
Chemical company Clariant International's new dyeing agent, developed in conjuntion with Replay, decreases the amount of trips to the vat by more than half. Laser technology, around for some time, has advanced to a point where a pair of ripped and aged vintage jeans can be scanned to reproduce an exact replica. Even more impactful is the industrial washing machine, the G2, that produces various shades of denim using air technology as opposed to water and chemicals. According to the article, Jeanologia, the owner of the G2, estimates that if every company were to adopt their machine, the amount of water saved could supply the entire country of Spain with clean drinking water for 8 months. Wow!
Another technique mentioned was blending denim, which is primarily made of cotton, with 25% Tencel. For those that don't know, Tencel is a fiber produced by the eucalyptus tree. Lenzing Fibers, the producers of Tencel theorize that by using 25% Tencel, the acreage and water used to grow the cotton plant will be reduced by a proportionate 25%. This is a bit of a head scratcher because wouldn't the water and acreage used to grow the cotton be replaced by the eucalyptus tree? And besides, we prefer denim to be as close to 100% cotton as possible.
Whatever the method, within the apparel/fashion industry the focus is primarily on aesthetic, so it's a relief to know that the companies behind the scenes are doing what they can to protect the environment.
A portion of this informative and insightful article is posted below, but read it in it's entirety on WWD.com
Jeanologia's G2 Industrial Washing MachineAlthough the denim industry has long been known to be resource intensive, a full picture wasn’t known publicly until Levi Strauss & Co. shared results of its life cycle assessment on what went into making one pair of its iconic Levi’s 501 style.
Examining the 2006 production year for jeans headed to the U.S. market, Levi’s found that making one pair of 501s required almost 920 gallons of water, 400 megajoules of energy and expelled 32 kilograms of carbon dioxide. Levi’s said this was equivalent to running a garden hose for 106 minutes, driving 78 miles and powering a computer for 556 hours.
Using organic cotton, while quick and easy, does relatively little to change these types of numbers. Suppliers are now responding with the types of products that could carry a larger impact, but progress is slow.
“Everyone is trying to uncover ways to save money and energy,” said Andrew Olah, chief executive officer of Olah Inc., a U.S. agent for foreign contract manufacturers and textile and hardware vendors targeting denim designers. “The chemical companies who supply dyestuff are making it more and more irresistible. Change is happening, step by step, mill by mill.”
Spanish denim research and development company Jeanologia has launched two products aimed at significantly reducing energy and water usage. Its most recent product, an industrial washing machine dubbed the G2, was introduced in April after two years of development. Rather than relying on the traditional combination of water and chemicals to create various shades of denim, the G2 uses a process that relies on air. In addition to eliminating the use of water and chemicals, the G2 rids the finishing process of toxic emissions and dumping, and reduces overall energy usage. The company also estimated that the G2 cuts production time, energy consumption and cost per garment by more than 50 percent.
With the introduction of the G2, Jeanologia also offered its own assessment of the impact of the denim industry. The company estimated that 158.5 billion gallons of water and 1.3 million tons of chemicals are used each year in the denim finishing process. Were the entire industry to adopt the G2 process for denim and other garments, Jeanologia believes the amount of water saved would supply Spain with enough drinking water for eight months.
In 2001, Jeanologia introduced a textile laser to achieve distressed and vintage looks. Technologies have advanced to such a degree that the system now can scan a vintage pair of jeans and reproduce the exact look, down to the holes and abrasions, in less than a minute. The system eliminates the time and hand labor traditionally needed to achieve these looks in the factory, but more important, can eliminate the use of chemical abrasives.
