INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON DESIGN AND LIGHT INDUSTRY TECHNOLOGIES

19 – 20 November 2014, Budapest, Hungary

Óbuda University

SUSTAINABLE CONCEPTS AND ECO-FRIENDLY TECHNOLOGIES

IN THE DENIM INDUSTRY

Edit Csanák

Óbuda University, Hungary

Abstract

Denim is one of the most polluting industries on the fashion market. Nowadays we try to invent more
environmentally friendly manufacturing technologies than the traditional are. Despite the ecological
facts, it still keeps to be a rapidly growing part of the fashion market. Behind the giant denim industry
big problem are enormous quantities of second hand trash, unsalable stock and denim waste, which
has to be processed again anyway. On the other hand: repurposing of denim waste into fashionable
items is only in some cases part of the sustainability process.

There are many opportunities offered to enthusiasts of denim today; advanced and organic denim, less
polluting fabric dyeing and washing processes, zero water technologies, oxygen and ozone washes,
recycling processes, Eco-denim projects, and so on. Most of them aren’t environmentally friendly at
all, even they are called so…

This report focuses onto the latest denim finishing technologies, comparing their impact on
environment regarding to the classic ones. It introduces some designer brands that are regarding
these new technologies and advanced opportunities of its recycling. Also, it reflects to possibilities of
introducing them in the domestic market.

Keywords: denim, sustainability, Eco-denim, advanced denim technologies

1. INTRODUCTION: ACTORS OF THE BLUE SUPPLY CHAIN

Denim is a dynamic, featuring field of fashion where the achievements of the science and new features
of lifestyle are assumed in sew styles. To understand the modern phenomenon of denim topic has to be
accessed from different aspects. From an artistic point of view emphasis is on the product. “Features
of denim design” that make the core of jeans anatomy allow endless opportunities for the designers.
[1] In this context is important to mention classical denim technologies that are still used and which
till now make the essence of the traditional denim craft.

Phenomenon of denim is a complex one, with multifaceted local and global interests behind the scene,
where the economic aspect makes the essence of the topic. This field of fashion is rapidly growing
business, thus continuous monitoring of the market is a must for all the professionals. Denim is one of
the biggest employers on the world; its giving work to lots of people: stakeholders in the textile,
garment and fashion industry, including small and medium enterprises and large companies, designers
and creative personnel of leading global fashion houses and emerging brands, actors of the retail sector
(buying/selling, distribution, promotion, etc.), as well there are huge interests of machinery makers,
workers and technologists of the weaving mills, and so on… There is an endless list of employees and
employers interested in a supply chain of the blue industry.

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 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON DESIGN AND LIGHT INDUSTRY TECHNOLOGIES
19 – 20 November 2014, Budapest, Hungary
Óbuda University

That’s why is important to reflect on environmental aspects of this topic, by reflecting onto some
Eco-design and denim recycling projects. We can see that world of denim became ever more socially
responsible than was in the past. If drawing attention to new achievements of the science, that make
this field fresh and exciting, there’s featuring a future of denim above more sustainable aware than it
was in its heroic history.

World of denim as a big melt-in-pot allows to diverse, featuring tendencies to be integrated into.
Social media sharing support birth of new fashion and lifestyle trends, and new social and Eco-aware
projects, while achievements of the technology provide continuous inspiration for functional design.

2. MARKET SURVEY - DENIM INDUSTRY

Fashion changes, but denim are still here. It is a popular field of fashion design and despite the
periodical crisis’s of this field of fashion. Consumers have an undying love of jeans. About 8 from
10 young people wears denim in its all shapes and bears. If you were to ask young what will they take
with them in a backpack if being transported to the moon, then there would be a pair of
jeans surely among the belongings...

Figure 1. Popular publications about denim

This field of fashion has a huge publicity; there are dozens of articles, style forecasts, books and trend
publications introduced on fabric exhibitions and Tradeshows. Publicity of denim is continuous; it’s
been over a decade since denim has been considered a premium product, but the blue revolution is still
on… [4] According to the public data of popular site denims and jeans [2] the global producing of
denim fabric woven in over 300 denim mills worldwide, was 9 billion meters of the year 2012, and till
2020 the capacity is estimated to be the same. The world market of denim for the year 2012 was
valued about $75 billion!

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 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON DESIGN AND LIGHT INDUSTRY TECHNOLOGIES
19 – 20 November 2014, Budapest, Hungary
Óbuda University

2.1 Facts and figures about global denim production at the end of year 2014

In East and West Europe the number of denim manufacturers is not a significant 1, but Turkey has an
advanced denim fabric weaving and product manufacturing industry in the present day. Based upon
the search result of a flagship online marketplace, there are around 100 denim brands present on the
Turkish denim market. 2 That’s why European denim brands manufacture their products in most cases
in Turkey or in North Africa, but mostly in the Far East 3. Based upon the search result of the same a
flagship online marketplaces the number of denim suppliers only in the Far East (at the end of 2014
year) is around half million!

350000

300000
China (Mainland) over

250000 Vietnam over

200000
Pakistan about

India over
150000

Bangadesh about
100000

Japan about
50000
Thailand about
0

Diagram 1: Estimated number of denim manufacturers on the Far East based upon the search result
of a flagship online marketplaces

3. CLASSICAL DENIM TECHNOLOGIES: BACKGROUND AND DISADVANTAGES

Denim washing is a technology that is used to soften the raw material and to give it used look. It is
done to produce effects like color fading, crinkles, seam puckering, hairiness, de-pilling or softened-
hand feel, etc., as well to stabilize dimensions of the product because the shrinkage of the fabric. Since
denim constitutes the largest portion of the garments that are washed, the term 'wash' has come to
mean the finishing of denim garments.

1
Netherland (G-star, Kuyichi, Mexx, Scotch and Soda, Denham, etc.), Sweeden (Acne, Nudie Jeans, Cheap
Monday) and Germany (Mustang, One Green Elephant, Timezone, etc.) has their woven suppliers and
production in the Far East. There is still a domestic production in Portugal (Salsa) and Italy. The top brands are:
Armani Jeans, Sweet Jeans, Energie, Fornarina, Freesoul, Gas, Killah, Kocca, Meltin’ pot, Miss Sixty, Replay
and Diesel. Hungary had giant denim industry in the past, but the current situation is not substantial. There are
few denim brands (such as Devergo or Retro) which manufacture their products abroad. Only a few
manufacturers of denim goods left in the country, as well the number of competent laundries in the country is
relatively small; there is a relevant technology left only in Szekesfehervar, Debrecen, Budapest and Kiskunhalas.
Serbia has advanced denim industry in Novi Pazar (South Serbia, Raška region).
2
The top Turkish brands are: Colin, Cross Jeanswear Co., LTB, Mavi, River Island and Lc Waikiki. As well as
there are over 3000 suppliers in the country. It means jointly around 50.000 products each season. There are
around 300 woven suppliers, the largest and best known are: Orta Anadolu, Kipas Denim, Bossa.
3
In China, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Pakistan. The estimated number of Chinese suppliers is over

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 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON DESIGN AND LIGHT INDUSTRY TECHNOLOGIES
19 – 20 November 2014, Budapest, Hungary
Óbuda University

The first one was stone wash, invented in the late 60-s by Japanese brand Edwin® and Marithé and
Francois Girbaud® in France – almost at the same time. Until today we don’t know who was who
invented it first, but it until the present day there have been developed few more. There are different
processes which can be used on a various way and may result various effects for special products. By
setting of process parameters we can change the final effect of each process. Here are the basic ones:

 Stone Washing: a most common method used to give the denim 'old-look', to abrade the
surface of the fabric and to obtain a softer touch. The main component of the method is the
pumice stone4.
 Enzyme Washing: a common bio-catalytic method where the hydrolytic effect of enzymes
causes the loss of surface fiber by improving smoothness of surface and the softness of the


fabric.
Bleach Washing (as well called acid wash or bleaching) is a cheap and quick way of finishing
which is done by using a bleaching agent like sodium hypochlorite, or similar acid.
 Ice or Snow Washing is a method achieved by dry tumbling with pumice stones soaked with


bleaching agents. It produces a 'snow-like' pattern effect on denim.
Sandblasting is an abrading method done with sand, for obtaining a localized abrasion effect.5

3.1 Environmental pollution facts and disadvantages of classical denim washing methods

Let’s be honest: denim is an awfully dirty industry! To make jeans is like to make sausages. That’s
why it’s usually done in undeveloped countries where the environmental regulations are not
demarcated clearly. Despite the ecological facts denim still keeps to be growing part of the fashion
market. Especially important is to face with the aspect that denim washing is one of the most
environment polluting technologies. Facts were considered around 2010.

Figure 3. Environment pollution done by using of classic denim finishing

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Upon the degree of the water, quantity of the stone and duration of the washing process, different effects/shades
of denim can be obtained. Rocks for the best quality pumice stones are dropped from Aegean Sea (costs of
Turkey and Greece), as well as is going on in Tenerife, Iceland and in Côte d'Azur, as well as in the Philippines,
Indonesia, China, Japan, Mexico, the USA and Ecuador.
5
There are over more methods; these were the most common used. [1]

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 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON DESIGN AND LIGHT INDUSTRY TECHNOLOGIES
19 – 20 November 2014, Budapest, Hungary
Óbuda University

Even the commonly used technologies are more environmentally friendly nowadays, if modern less
polluting chemicals are used – as together altogether with relevant sewage plants –, disadvantages like
high energy and water consumption, multi part production process and lots of waste support efforts of
denim professionals to invent new, more environment friendly ones. However; higher demands cause
higher prices of the products, what is closely related to well-known terrible work conditions of the
denim industry workers around the world. There is a clear relation between the phenomenon of fast
fashion and cheap clothing, and low product prices. Professionals over the world fight for maintaining
of the ethical rules and for the moral values, maintaining principles of quality contra quantity. [3]

4. SUSTAINABILITY, RECYCLING AND ECO DESIGN: FACTS AND TENDENCIES

Saving a planet and sustainable fashion became a Megatrend. As we’ve seen the giant denim industry
produces enormous quantities of second hand trash, waste and unsalable stock that causes huge
environment pollution in itself. Repurposing of enormous quantities of textile produced each season
became a great challenge for fashion professionals.

Figure 4. “Deconstruction & Reconstruction” – Edit Csanák: Vanguard Jeans Collection [2009]

“Deconstruction & Reconstruction” started to be an outstanding trend at the late 2000’s, however the
roots of eco-design and recycling are in the late 90-s. [3] Should be noted that recycling of the trash
into “so called fashionable” items, that are lacking proposal and tangibly useful end product, cannot be
considered sustainable at all. That problem describes most of the recycling projects. Eco-denim aren’t
environmentally friendly at all, if it is just a waste of time and energy, even it is are called so…

Figure 5. Cutting edge products of different denim recycling projects

5. ECO-FRIENDLY TECHNOLOGIES IN THE DENIM INDUSTRY

Making jeans is over more complex process than the average consumer thinks; it requires special
equipment and technology, complex skills mixed with a high degree of creativity, and special
knowledge. This is a very creative field of design that attracts lots of designers each season. Undying
desire of the designers and the consumers supported by the multiplied global interest of denim brands,
manufacturers and their give renewed meaning to the work each new season.

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 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON DESIGN AND LIGHT INDUSTRY TECHNOLOGIES
19 – 20 November 2014, Budapest, Hungary
Óbuda University

We strive to invent more environmentally aware technologies than the traditional. The first initiative
was introduced by the Levi Strauss year 2011, when the company began
using Water<Less™ techniques, that reduced the amount of water used in garment finishing by up to
96 percent for certain products. [5] The goal of the new technologies developed after the 2010-s is
reducing of water and energy consumption as a first criterion, and using of less polluting chemicals.

Figure 6. Latest invented denim finishing technologies: Advanced Denim Technology® by Clariant,
Ozone Wash® and Water<Less™ by Levis

Until today there were many of them is offered to enthusiasts of denim: the zero water technology,
Ozone Wash®, less polluting and less energy/water consuming Advanced Denim Technology® and
Laser Wash® – together with the a less polluting fabric dyeing solutions – are over more perfect denim
finishing know-hows. Their substantial advantages are:

 Less or zero water consumption  Improved quality and reduced volumes of waste
 Energy savings  Improved tensile/tear strength of finished goods
 Process time savings  Reduced second quality
 Chemical savings  Labor savings.

References:

[1] E. Csanák, „BRANDING ISSUES AND CREATIVE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT IN THE DENIM
INDUSTRY,” University of Novi Sad – Republic of Serbia, Zrenjanin, 2014.
[2] S. Agarwal, „World Denim Production And Consumption Report: 2012,” www.denimsandjeans, 23
September 2012. [Online]. Available: http://www.denimsandjeans.com/latest-denim-reports/global-
denim-market-2012/. [Accessed: 15 11 2014].
[3] E. Csanák, „ECO-FRIENDLY CONCEPTS AND ETHICAL MOVEMENTS IN THE FASHION
INDUSTRY,” in University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia, 2014.
[4] M. C. Pavarini, „Denim Strikes Back,” e-paper Sportswear International pp. 48, 2014. [Online].
Available: http://www.sportswearnet.com/epaper/34/flipviewerxpress.html. [Accessed: 18 11 2014].
[5] Levi Strauss And Co., „SUSTAINABILITY - INNOVATIVE PRACTICES: PLANET,” Levi Strauss
And Co., [Online]. Available: http://www.levistrauss.com/sustainability/innovative-
practices/planet/water/. [Accessed: 17 11 2014].

Corresponding address:
Edit Csanák
Óbuda University Sándor Rejtő Faculty of Light Industry and Environmental Engineering Institute of
Product Design
Doberdó út 6. 1034 Budapest, Hungary
E-mail: csanak.edit@rkk.uni-obuda.hu
For more information about the author, please visit the sites: www.editio.hu and www.denimglobe.com