AMSTERDAM — Sustainability has been a key issue in the denim world for several years, but the latest edition of the Kingpins trade fair showed the industry is ready to tackle the issue holistically.
From Oct. 24 to 25, exhibitors in the three halls of the Westergasfabrik venue in Amsterdam rivaled each other in ways of showcasing their sustainable initiatives.
Posters detailing water-saving processes, potassium permanganate-free finishes and recycled fabrics were at the front of most stands, easy to spot from afar thanks to their symbolic green and blue hues.
Green tags were added to each garment presented at Bangladesh-based manufacturer M&J Group’s stand, on which were listed the level of water, gas or chemicals used for the conception of each denim piece, which could be tweaked according to the client’s wishes.
Over at Global Denim, the manufacturer’s EcoloJean technology was illustrated with an oversized blue poster. On it was depicted a regular pair of jeans next to a pile of water bottles, explaining that it takes 20 liters of water to dye a single pair of jeans. The EcoloJean technology, said the poster, boasts zero water discharging.
Visibly flagging sustainable initiatives seemed to work. “We’ve just sourced a fabric called Repreve, made from recycled
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