Fashion for Good recently published an article that examines the environmental challenges of denim production and provides alternatives for more circular systems.
Denim has been a key focus for the collaborative organization that champions sustainable fashion since its launch in 2017. It makes sense as it shares a hometown with brands like G-Star, Scotch & Soda, Denham and institutions like the Jeans School.
In the article, Fashion for Good challenges brands and suppliers to rethink materials and how it processes denim, particularly the dyeing and garment finishing phases.
“There are clear opportunities to improve denim dyeing and finishing, especially when it comes to infrastructure and safety,” Fashion for Good stated. “Stronger regulatory frameworks can ensure factories follow safety protocols and train workers properly. Alongside this, standardized chemical inventories and greater supply chain transparency can make it easier to identify and eliminate hazardous substances from production.”
While there’s room for improvement, Fashion for Good emphasizes the emerging technologies that brands can take advantage of now, including digital printing technologies and less water-intensive dyeing technologies like Sonovia’s ultrasonic technology. More efficient processes also exist such as CleanKore, which reduces the need for bleach by keeping indigo on the surface of fabrics.
Fashion for Good also highlights how outdated data on denim’s key fiber—cotton—is echoed across the supply chain.
In the article, Fashion for Good argues that the generalization that cotton is a thirsty crop and claims that one kilogram of cotton fiber consumes 20,000 liters of water is inaccurate. Rather, Fashion for Good points out that cotton is “drought-tolerant” and that “water usage issues are primarily tied to regional conditions, insufficient infrastructure and poor governance.” The organization also said cotton’s use of pesticides is inflated.
“The reality is that the environmental impact often attributed to cotton isn’t inherent to the fiber itself but largely depends on how and where it’s grown. Water use, pesticide application, and safety risks vary widely across regions, shaped by local climate, education on farming methods, and the presence (or absence) of strong infrastructure and regulation,” Fashion for Good stated.
While cotton continues to be backbone of denim, the article urges denim manufacturers to try other resource-efficient fiber alternatives such as cottonized hemp, chemically recycled fibers like Circulose and mechanically recycled cotton.
Though the fibers are not a “one-to-one replacement for cotton,” Fashion for Good said alternatives can help reduce the amount of denim destined for landfills and support other sustainability goals brands are trying to achieve.
