Product, Service & Design Innovation
Industry Collaboration Critical for Sustainable Denim

It’s no secret that "denim is a dirty business.” But does this mean our love affair with denim is over?

To open the KingPins 2016 Amsterdam Show on October 24, 10 leaders transforming the denim industry were invited to answer one question: Is the scary part of hazardous chemicals on the way?

The day, dubbed the “Transformers,” invited a range of perspectives from the chemical industry, along with manufacturers, brands, and industry coalitions - and while there was certainly some debate, common themes emerged.

We’re in the land of (regulatory) confusion

A clear theme which chemical companies worked hard to articulate are the multitude of regulations they face in conforming to “green” chemistry standards, and the high cost they face in doing so.

“We’re in the land of confusion,” said Miguel Sánchez Gavilán from Archroma. Gavilán stressed that in his experience, many brands are reluctant to pass the cost onto consumers, however, “Once these new technologies, methods or products become the standard, the cost will become diluted.”

Gavilán also proposed that brands need to work harder to articulate why the cost of a certain product might be higher if more sustainable methods are used, and insisted that if the consumer were better informed, they’d be more willing to pay.

“However,” he admitted, “I asked my 10-year-old daughter if she’d be willing to spend $5 more on her jeans if it would save the planet, and she pleaded that $5 could buy a lot of things. I haven’t done a very good job educating her yet.”

Common problems call for common solutions

**Hear more on
Chemicals
and the
Future of Materials
at
**New Metrics '16.****Alberto de Conti from Garmon Chemicals echoed Gavilán’s frustration with what he termed regulatory “schizophrenia,” but insisted that the textile and footwear industry is not static. He argued that a more collaborative approach could solve this problem. “If the problem is a common one, why can’t we find a common solution?”

Sara Fessler, RSL and Environmental Specialist from Dutch denim brand G-Star, acknowledged the multitude of issues facing denim production. However, while she admitted denim is “dirty business, she said, “At G-Star, we’re taking up this challenge.”

G-Star was one of the first brands to sign onto the ZDHC "Roadmap to Zero" Programme, commit to zero discharge of hazardous chemicals by 2020, and commit to becoming free of APEOs (alkylphenol ethoxylates - surfactants that have an emulsifying and dispersing action, so they have good wetting, penetration, emulsification, dispersion, solubilizing and washing characteristics. In the textile industry, they are used in detergents and as a scouring, coating or waterproofing agents. Though APEOs themselves are not carcinogenic, teratogenic or mutagenic, research has shown that when they do degrade, their byproducts have a higher toxicity, estrogenic activity, persistence and tendence to bioaccumulate than APEOs themselves).

“Are we scared of a toxic future? No, we see a lot of innovation, we see a lot of sustainable solutions, and we’re on a journey forward," Fessler asserted.

Importance of a shared roadmap

Stefano Aldighieri, Head of Denim Design at Arvind Limited - a manufacturing company based in India and also a contributor to ZDHC, acknowledged the value of sharing a common goal.

“ZDHC has given us a roadmap. It provides guidance and direction to take steps towards the elimination of hazardous chemicals.

“We are a part of nature,” Aldighieri said. “We’re not doing this because we are great. We are doing this because we want to survive.”

Collaboration is key

Fessler also elaborated on what participation in ZDHC means for G-Star and how it’s working with other industry actors to improve things.

“Participating in ZDHC means we can sit together with other brands to discuss this issue and we don’t act as competitors,” she said. “We’re able to come together on this issue, because we know we can’t change the industry alone."

ZDHC’s Technical Director Scott Echols then presented the ZDHC Programme and the unique collaboration of contributors it includes, spanning brands, textile mills, chemical companies, industry associations and manufacturers.

As Echols emphasised, “Our role at ZDHC is to facilitate collaboration between all of these actors, work together to create common standards and tools, and together, focus on collaborative implementation and engagement."

"While the road is not always simple, it’s clear that working together collaboratively on this issue will get us there faster."