The denim industry faces challenges of sustainable pigments and dyes

Dyeing and finishing are the stages that generate the largest share of the textile industry’s carbon impact (36%), ahead of spinning. The challenge of eco-responsibility is therefore particularly acute in the world of denim, where specialists are pursuing responsible alternatives to indigo and other chemical pigments.

For its first appearance at the Denim Première Vision show, which opened on November 26 in Milan in a collegial, businesslike atmosphere, U.S. company Chloris set out to pre-empt any doubts. “It’s not indigo, but Classean Blue, named after the German scientist who discovered this compound in 1890,” founder Lei Seun explained to FashionNetwork.com.

Last year, the company launched its first industrial production unit in China, dedicated to a pigment obtained by fermenting waste from the sugar and maize industries. The natural pigment is said to reduce carbon impact by 65% and heat consumption by 50% compared with a chemical colourant.

“Developing new technologies has become part of our DNA,” said Andrea Venier, director of Officina 39.

For the past 20 years, the 50-year-old Italian company has been refining alternatives to existing processes, notably its proprietary Recycrom process, which transforms pre- and post-consumer textile waste into coloured powder, without resorting to chemical synthesis. Around 100 kilos of material could be used to colour 5,000 tonnes of fabric, or 6,000 pairs of trousers.

Impatient brands

The company also highlights Zero PP, its alternative to potassium permanganate (known as “PP”), used to create faded effects, replacing it with laser- and ozone-based processes. “One problem we face is that when you launch something new, brands now expect you to move quickly to industrial scale. But these new processes need time to scale up,” noted the executive.

This view is shared by French designer Emily Gubbay, a graduate of Central Saint Martins in London, whose process for recovering indigo from denim, called Infinity Blue, is attracting attention.

“It’s an entirely natural process that works on end-of-life garments, but can also be used for fading, as it does not damage the material,” she explained, adding that the core process is said to take 30 minutes.

To develop the process, Infinity Blue is currently seeking partners, with Emily Gubbay believing the solution belongs with dyeing specialists. “Many brands are interested, but want this pigment now. There’s still a long way to go to reach that stage. We need an industrial partner, and that could be a yarn-dyeing specialist.”

Brands’ impatience with new solutions is also noted by Lucia D’Angelo Maddaleno, export manager at Montega Chemical Solutions. “For years now, there has been growing demand for mineral pigments and natural dyes from brands,” said the specialist, whose company has focused for 40 years on treatments for textiles, particularly apparel.

“An opportunity to stand out”

To support the shift towards more responsible finishes, Montega particularly promotes the use of a chlorine activator as an alternative to caustic soda, which is still used to achieve certain particularly aggressive wash effects. “If you launch a brand with the ambition of using natural dyeing, you have to be aware of the limits it imposes,” said the export manager, citing issues of colour fastness and the consistency of shades across an entire length of fabric.

The denim industry’s ambition to move towards greater responsibility is not new. Fifteen years after the harmful practice of sandblasting was called into question, manufacturers are nevertheless seeing these ambitions tested by economic realities.

“The market is going through a difficult time, and this is true in every country we go to,” noted Venier, whose customers supply major global denim brands. “However, some brands continue to show their willingness to change their approach, and sometimes even see this as an opportunity to stand out from competitors.”

“More than ever, brands need to understand what we do, how we do it, and what benefits they can derive from a product like ours,” explained Seun. “Our move to industrial scale allows us to match the prices of conventional pigments, and our product can be used in existing indigo dyeing machines. It has taken time, but that’s at least what it takes to convince brands to step out of their comfort zone,” summed up the specialist, who sees evolving Western regulations as a further incentive to adopt new forms of dyeing.