How TENCEL™ Fits into TCE’s Sustainable Material Makeover
The blueprint for denim hasn’t changed much since its beginnings, but how mills and manufacturers bring this classic wardrobe staple to life is constantly changing to advance sustainability.
Vietnam-based denim mill and garment manufacturer TCE is a prime example of how producers are pushing the envelope in technology to create greener jeans. This includes using unexpected materials like banana, pineapple or nylon fishing nets. The manufacturer is also using multiple varieties of TENCEL™ fibers to contribute to carbon footprint reduction.
Carved in Blue chatted with TCE about the benefits of verticality, how it is collaborating with TENCEL™ and what changes it sees holding the most promise for sustainable impact.
Carved in Blue: TCE has almost 70 years of history in denim. How has the mill grown since it opened in 1956?
TCE: It has been tough years to survive for 70 years and become one of the leading denim manufacturers. We were established in 1956 in South Korea and currently have full vertical production from fabric to garment, made in Vietnam since 2013.
The growth driver for TCE is our commitment to constantly research global market needs from the fast-fashion industry and keep up with the diversity and new technologies. This commitment has resulted in our successful growth and expansion over the years.
Carved in Blue: Your operations cover both fabric and garment production. What benefit does having everything under one umbrella have for your brand customers, as well as your own product development process?
TCE: Our company’s motto is “The Simple is the Best” by fulfilling one-stop shopping through TCE’s well-organized, vertical in-house operation from fabric to garment.
We offer affordable fast fashion with effective production based on consumer needs in one location and streamlined procedures, while reducing transit time and relevant cost significantly under volatile global SCM (supply chain management). These benefits return to our brand customers.
In addition, traceability and transparency are the most important requirements. Through TCE’s full vertical production, it comes to be more simplified and verified.
TCE has its own R&D center, called “Denim Cube,” which is an independent vertical development center. Through this center, all developments are made based on our own market research and customers’ diverse needs every season. It gives express and better services for fast-fashion trends.
Carved in Blue: What first attracted TCE to TENCEL™ fibers?
TCE: We believe TCE is the same way with TENCEL™’s goal. TCE is adopting full sustainability—from various raw materials to finished garment products—for our planet and the next generations.
TENCEL™ is a great fiber, and Lenzing keeps pursuing new technology and innovations for sustainable materials with great performance by reducing carbon footprint, such as carbon zero TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal and ECOVERO™ Viscose. We are aiming to the same goal, the “Go Green” movement, to have less impact on the environment.
Carved in Blue: In what ways are you incorporating TENCEL™ into your denim collections? Which types of TENCEL™ materials are you using?
TCE: Our fabric R&D is always focusing on Lenzing’s new innovative materials. When our vertical R&D team starts new season development, we are cooperating and using TENCEL™’s new materials as much as we can. Recently, we are aggressively promoting carbon zero TENCEL™ and ECOVERO™. People well recognize that carbon is the main cause and believe that carbon zero TENCEL™ is a great material for a green planet.
Carved in Blue: TCE has been investing in sustainability, but which action items do you see as holding the most potential for climate impact? What should the denim industry be prioritizing?
TCE: Sustainability is not an option, but an essential thing. TCE wants to introduce two themes—“Denim by Nature” and “Saving Earth Denim”—as new innovative materials focusing on sustainability by less climate impact.
With Denim x Nature, everyone recognizes cotton is a highly water- and chemical-intensive crop, so we are striving to use alternative cotton materials from natural sources as much as we can. TCE develops various denim by nature such as soy, sisal, kapok, abaca, pineapple and banana through tropical trees in East Asia.
With Saving Earth Denim, focused on saving the planet for the next generation, TCE produces many products using recycled resources from wasted ocean fish nets, PET bottles, agricultural waste and biodegradable products such as Fish Net Denim, Mermaid Denim, Bioplastic Denim, pre- and post-consumer waste cotton and so on.
Carved in Blue: You were recycling about a quarter of your water in 2021. Where does that figure stand today, and what are your next targets toward zero discharge?
TCE: Recycled water level is currently around 20 percent, and our goal is zero discharge by 2027 by increasing 20 percent year by year.
Carved in Blue: What is next for TCE?
TCE: Better ring dyeing effect through studying and adopting the innovative new technology. We are the denim manufacturer, so dyeing is one of the important processes for better quality with sustainability. As TCE is the denim vertically integrated manufacturer from fabric to the wash, we are doing research and testing to improve ring dyeing effect to be suitable for the sustainable way of wash processes, working with global partners such as Archroma, Jeanologia and more.
Exploring new materials progressively, we keep working with new environmentally friendly material companies to develop new sustainable denim fabric.
As a result, we developed various recycled and natural material denim fabric from agricultural waste, ocean waste such as ocean fish nets, ocean PET bottles, waste fish scales and tropical fruit trees denim. TCE strives to save the earth providing the customer with valuable eco-friendly denim fabric.