Mill Trends: The Latest in Who’s Doing What to Achieve Circularity
Since we’re all practicing social distancing, we’re bringing the market to you.
Carved in Blue caught up with a series of leading mills to find out how they are addressing circularity, and what new styles they have that use TENCEL™ Lyocell with REFIBRA™ technology.
Here’s what they had to say.
Advance Denim, China
Michael Lam, marketing director
We developed the Retro-fix TENCEL™ Denim, for which we are using the new spinning tech to blend the TENCEL™ Lyocell with cotton to create the vintage character, just like the denim made by the old shuttle looms. The handfeel is super soft with marble character even with 30 to 40 percent stretch. Although we are using high percentage of TENCEL™ Lyocell in the warp, the look of the denim is still matte just like regular denim. We are also using TENCEL™ Lyocell, TENCEL™ Lyocell with REFIBRA™ and TENCEL™ Modal Black to develop this new concept.
Bens Mode, Taiwan
Benjamin Liao, director
People have been talking about “recycling” for couple years, and I prefer to say second-time using of all materials which are able to be recycled. In textiles I can point out to causing less waste and utilizing the secondhand apparels.
Calik Denim, Turkey
Ms. Çiğdem Kaçar, product marketing manager
For the last two seasons as Calik Denim we are developing products with TencelTM Lyocell fiber with RefibraTM technology for our collections.
As Lenzing’s this special fiber contributes to the circular economy, it is our pleasure to include it in our products’ composition.
Furthermore, we are manufacturing pre-consumer recycled cotton yarn at our mill and we are using GRS certified post-consumer recycled cotton as well.
We have also recycled polyester and Lycra® T400® EcoMade in our raw material portfolio.
In our Retro Soft product concept which combines ultra softness with authentic denim look, we have fabrics with REFIBRA™ Technology. “Antonie” product family is an example.
Cone, Mexico
Pierette Scavuzzo, marketing manager
We are approaching circularity from a holistic view, exploring ways to incorporate our own waste into new concepts, reducing waste within our processes and finding ways to extend or create new life for a product.
From a product design perspective, we are looking at fiber and dye innovations; this season we will be launching our Indigo Revive product that uses our own indigo dye waste to create a yarn that doesn’t require any additional water, chemicals or dye. We look forward to new opportunities to engage through our participation in the Ellen MacArthur foundation’s Jean Redesign initiative and other industry initiatives.
REFIBRA™ technology offers many new opportunities. Stay tuned.
DNM, Turkey
Zuhal Karacayir, marketing executive
At DNM, we try to embrace circular production in as many aspects as possible, but step by step. From the day one of being in operation, we have recycled 94 percent of all the water used in our production process. Zero waste water is disposed.
In terms of dyes; we use pre-reduced dyes from Dystar, which are Cradle 2 Cradle certified, so no waste is produced here.
When it comes to fibers we are increasing the use of recycled materials season by season. Currently we are using recycled cotton—pre- and post-consumer, mechanically and chemically—Repreve™ recycled polyester and REFIBRA™ Technology. The road to being totally circular has been entered, but we are aware that it’s a long one.
Global Denim, Mexico
Anatt Finkler, creative director
On the sustainability and circularity front we continue to operate with our Cleandigo and Ecolojean programs, bringing zero water discharge to the water treatment plant and using the cleanest indigo in the market, that is also aniline free. We continue to save water, energy and chemicals with these ongoing initiatives.
Our most proud initiative is our Ecoloop program. We are proud to announce that from the beginning of this year, our new 14,000-square-meter new wing of the mill designated just to this program is fully operational. The Ecoloop program recycles pre-consumer denim, floor scraps and post-consumer denim into new cotton yarns to create new fabric.
Throughout a lot of R&D, we have managed to add recycled cotton yarn to all of our Open End constructions and we are working towards being able to provide our Ring constructions the same treatment. This doesn’t only make the economy circular, but helps the environment and prevents fabric waste.
We are introducing this collection, fabrics made with 100 percent recycled cotton yarn in a natural color, giving our costumer a beautiful faded natural bluish grey, as well as its over dyed and dyed with indigo options. Also, we are improving its sustainability by adding great eco fibers like TENCEL™ Lyocell to the mix, and improving its comfort by adding some stretch.
Kilim Denim, Turkey
Elif Karahan, marketing executive
The circular economy is quickly permeating throughout our global economies. It is becoming more and more apparent that in order to remain competitive in the global market and create a future-proof business, circular economy business strategies must be adopted.
At every step of our production, we consider the effects on human health, reducing the impact we may have on nature and the efficient use of resources. Whether through sitting down with our customers in contemplation or through our teams that constantly follow innovations, we inspect each aspect of the procedure from raw material to the final product and determine areas where we can improve.
Kilim proposes denim textiles made with post-consumer jeans, that is, yarns from recycled jeans transformed into new yarns. A product line under the Re-Create concept, through the Alliance for Responsible Denim, a platform for collaboration between eco-conscious denim brands.
Kilim Denim has earned a rightful fame in the world with fabrics made from various different kinds of fibers. Fabrics made with these different kinds of fibers and their ideal combinations are all certified products, which have proven themselves visually and practically.
NZ Denim Ltd., Bangladesh
Jasim Uddin, project director
NZ Denim has already ordered TENCEL™ Lyocell with REFIBRA™ Technology to create some new products.
We work closely with our research and development team to develop ourselves and new products for the improvement of this sector.
Orta, Turkey
Zennure Danisman, marketing and washing manager
We focus on the human element of manufacturing, employee well-being, traceability, environmental sustainability, water stewardship and bio-design leadership. This is our time. It’s not about incremental corrections; it’s about a whole circular ecosystem reset, a total change. Orta’s promise is fashion-forward, high quality fabrics that are built to last, crafted with physical and emotional durability and rooted in eco-modern technologies.
At Orta each season, adapting circularity into our processes is our priority and since 2019 we are focusing on Biodesign. We are taking nature’s lead and exploring the symbiosis between science and design that promises to inspire a wider variety of visionary processes and systems than any individual discipline could develop alone.
For addressing circularity we are following two approaches: Using recycled materials in production and creating recyclable fabrics. Material wise, we have blends containing recycled cotton, recycled polyester and TENCEL™ Lyocell with REFIBRA™ Technology. Together with the responsible raw materials, Indigo Flow is Orta’s sustainable handprint of using less resource such as water and energy. Developed by Orta, Indigo Flow is a clean label process where it is possible to achieve up to 70 percent reduced water usage, better dye penetration, energy saving as no heat is needed for fixing and fabrics with richer and cleaner look.
We celebrate the water with Hydrotech+, which masters the art of water repellency for true dry-wear. Treated with our iconic Trutech+ technology, it maintains optimum elasticity while lowering the shrinkage and allows for a prolonged wearing experience. And you have wearable, superhero powers in different weights, stretch level and silhouettes. While Hydrotech+ is the ultimate water repellent, it gives respect to water by emphasizing less usage of it. More wearing comfort with less laundering.
Blu Narratives pays homage to the denim masters with Denim Tributes in fluid, lightweight constructions, future-retro marble mixes and the resurrection of vintage shapes for every garment imaginable. Memoria takes the best of Orta’s newest vintage characters to a renewed modernity. From sophisticated grey- and green-cast vintage in recycled cotton, to marble vintage organic cotton with REFIBRA™ Technology to pure indigo marble vintage colors, Memoria is the new throwback for generations to come.
Whatever is good for your soul, do it in denim.
Özak, Turkey
Aysun Acar Yuksek, product development manager
In our collaboration with Calik Denim, we used the fabrics which contain REFIBRA™ Technology. These fabrics are in the sustainable class due to the low percentage of cotton in their content. On the other hand, even though there was less cotton inside, we were still able to get the authentic denim look provided by cotton. By the combination of these right fabrics and Özak’s sustainable washing experience, we aimed to obtain the most sustainable products possible.
As a result of that, we obtained some eco-friendly products, for which the EIM scores are below 33. This means they are in low impact degree. In order to reach that outcome, we used nano-bubble technology, ozone treatment and latest laser application technology together. These products are presented in Özak Sustainable Collection.
Shinjintex, Korea
Y.K. Youn, marketing manager
TENCEL™ fiber itself is well known on the issue of circularity. We have fabrics with TENCEL™ Lyocell, as well as TENCEL™ Lyocell with REFIBRA™ Technology.
Siddiqsons,Pakistan
Asif Ali Rana, managing director
We are adopting a holistic approach of sustainability from raw material to end user. Our focus this time is to preserve resources starting from raw material, water, chemical, energy, time, renewable energy, recycling, reliability and biodegradability. This is the reason we have invested in first Jeanologia 5.0 sustainable laundry in Pakistan.
We have two groups for REFIBRA™ Technology. Fusion represents a mix of blends with cotton and other fibers to achieve soft hand and circularity. Cotton- represents special fabrics using synthetic recycled products without using cotton.
Tavex, Mexico
Arlethe Sanchez, marketing coordinator
In the strict sense of circularity, we use recycled cotton, recycled polyester, we reuse water from our treatment plant, we collect rainwater and our textile waste is used for mattresses, soundproofing of cars, etc.