Mill Memo: Latest Circularity News and REFIBRA™ Denim from Pakistan

Mills

Mill Memo: Latest Circularity News and REFIBRA™ Denim from Pakistan

Since in-person trade shows are still put on hold this fall, Carved in Blue is taking an opportunity to digitally connect with its community.

COVID-19 has created challenges, but it has also ushered in a “Great Reset,” allowing companies to pause and accelerate their sustainable efforts.

We touched base with denim mills in Pakistan to catch up on their latest initiatives to address circularity and SDG 12: responsible consumption and production. We also got the inside scoop on the newest ways they are using TENCEL™ x REFIBRA™ Lyocell in their creations.

AGI DENIM

Pakistan

Ali Tekin, R&D director

Carved in Blue: How are you addressing SDG 12?

Ali: The world is changing very quickly and consumers are changing their point of view on products.

Sustainability is a new responsibility for all of us. We are focusing on the full lifecycle of denim. Our aim is to get a different kind of sustainable approach to protect the environment by minimizing the use of natural resources and by reducing the environmental impact.

As a sustainable raw material:

• PCW: we are proud to say that we are trying to use at least 5 percent post-consumer recycle in each article. Additionally, we are producing 20 percent PCW articles with GRS certification.
• Hemp: Why hemp? Hemp needs no pesticides, needs half agriculture land and less water than cotton; it has a smaller footprint than conventional cotton.
• TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal, TENCEL™ x REFIBRA™ Lyocell, LENZING™ ECOVERO™ Viscose: we are using different kinds of regenerated cellulosic fibers to get more sustainable fabrics. Based on population growth, it is very simple that we don’t have enough water and enough land for cotton agriculture. So we need new cotton options like TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal, etc.
• Repreve®: We know that instead of virgin fiber if we use Repreve®, we will use less petroleum, we will emit less gases to environment, we will conserve water and energy. These all make a big difference for our future.

As a denim process (dyeing and finish):

Producing denim requires a great quantity of water. Besides growing cotton, most of the water used is discharged as wastewater after industrial processes like indigo dyeing and fabric finishing.

Our Double Zero technology combines both of our proprietary True Zero Dyeing and True Zero Finishing, for zero wastewater processes that do not sacrifice looks or quality. This breakthrough technology allows us to save the tremendous amount of water traditionally used in indigo dyeing and finishing.

By using only the minimum required to allow dyes to penetrate the fabric, all of our dyeing and fabric finishing water is evaporated at the end of the process or recovered, resulting in zero water being discharged and resulting in no effluents from these processes.

Double Zero saves 80 percent water to complete the same processes as conventional dyeing and finishing.

Carved in Blue: What new fabrics have you developed with REFIBRA™ Technology? 

Ali: With REFIBRA™ Lyocell, we are giving another sustainable choice to our customers. We are giving a second life to our garment waste. At AGI Denim, we try to fuse the sustainability of REFIBRA™ Technology with customer’s current expectation of authenticity. Without sacrificing authenticity, we are getting sustainable REFIBRA™ denim, which includes 51 percent organic cotton, 48 percent REFIBRA™ Lyocell and 1 percent elastane.

It has super natural softness together with less footprint.

Product:

TR -8247/A3 (51% organic cotton + 48% REFIBRA™ Lyocell + 1% elastane)

ARTISTIC FABRIC MILLS

Pakistan

Farah Iqbal, Director

Carved in Blue: How are you addressing SDG 12?

Farah:  Over the years Artistic Fabric Mills (AFM) has carried out extensive research to reduce the impact of producing denim. “Responsible consumption and production” have been key motivators in structuring our business model. Being a truly vertical sustainable setup, from recycling cotton fiber to producing end garments, we successfully continue to innovate our raw materials, fabrics and manufacturing techniques to be more circular and to save non-renewable resources.

As a leader in sustainable yarn development in the region, AFM was the first mill in Pakistan to invest in a cotton recycling plant, where we shred discarded jeans to fiber form and create fresh GRS certified post-consumer waste (PCW) yarn. We save discarded jeans from ending up in landfills, giving them a second life and new purpose. Last year we optimized this process to recycle industrial wastages as well and create post-industrial waste (PIW) yarn. The idea is to use any waste that is generated from the production or consumption of denim to develop new fibers and yarns.

Lenzing is a close supply chain partner, and we have recently collaborated to launch a capsule collection of fabrics using TENCEL™ x REFIBRA™ Lyocell, TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal, blended with a large percentage of our recycled PCW and PIW yarns to create high grade sustainable denims—practically a zero virgin cotton denim range.

Carved in Blue: What new fabrics have you developed with REFIBRA™ Technology? 

We also produce hemp denim and use other eco-friendly fibers such as Repreve® and biodegradable yarns.

Moving beyond fibers, our production techniques play a big role in helping us achieve certain SDGs. Our Double Zero technology, which eliminates waste water in dyeing and finishing processes and Zero Bleach color range, which eliminates the use of harmful chemicals, are two such engineering breakthroughs that we have developed in the past few years. A major focus has been to evolve Laser Friendly colors for sustainable garment processes, and our efforts have earned us some of the best global performing LSF scores through Jeanologia.

AFM is also one of the four mills in the world who has Rota technology, which is a sustainable method of dyeing. It is a pigment spray technology which uses 34 percent less water and 40 percent less energy than conventional dyeing methods. Any color can be sprayed on the cellulosic fibers covering cotton, LENZING™ ECOVERO™ Viscose, TENCEL™ Modal and TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers.

We have achieved paramount milestones this year based on our sustainable goals. The Earthmatic fabric range is Gold C2C certified, being the only one of its kind to receive the certification on a recycled denim. We also joined the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Jeans Redesign project to help transform the way jeans are made. It includes guidelines that set minimum requirements on garment durability, material health, recyclability and traceability. The guidelines are based on the principles of a circular economy and will ensure jeans last longer, can easily be recycled, and are made in a way that is better for the environment and the health of garment workers.

Artistic Care Foundation an initiative by AFM, includes all our community outreach programs that reduce carbon footprint and give back to communities surrounding us by providing them access to good healthcare and education. Through these efforts we aspire to create a big impact in making our world a better place.

Artistic Fabric Mills is a socially and environmentally conscious company. Through all these initiatives and investments, we are closing the loop on denim’s lifecycle, producing responsibly and offering sustainable solutions to our customers, allowing them to consume responsibly as well.

ARTISTIC MILLINERS

Pakistan

Ebru Ozaydin, senior vice president sales and marketing

Carved in Blue: How are you addressing SDG 12?

Ebru: “Great Reset” aims to build a new social contract that honors the dignity of every human being by shaping the recovery post-Covid and delivering collaborative solutions to global challenges for humanity, livelihoods and the planet.

That pushes business leaders to commit to sustainability, changing the way for production patterns, which is also supported by the 12^th Sustainable Development Goal with minimum consumption and maximum resource efficiency through a major transition towards low-carbon and green economies. 

For Artistic Milliners, it has not been triggered by the pandemic nor by the Great Reset to closely monitor the changing market dynamics and build a multi-tier strategy. It has been a six-year-old journey where we have been in constant research to react and respond by changing our attitude with a level of ambition and collaboration.

For us, SDG 12 specifically represents a transition based on ecological and holistic principles of closing the loop on materials, prioritizing the communities, the values and respect all people in the supply chain. That is why we’ve been in the pursuit of alternative raw materials, new technologies and better practices to help denim heads to “design responsibly” and track the impact on the planet and society accordingly.

Here is the chronology of the action plan where we share with our strategic partners and stakeholders in full transparency.

Circular Design: Creating “Circular Blue Platform” as a disruptive approach and offering a toolkit that helps in reducing waste by circulating resources to offer a 360 sustainable product experience from farm to garment level. Setting up a product line in-house to encourage brands with post-consumer, pre-consumer and industrial waste.

Zero-Waste: Partnering with industry pioneers and global institutions to expand the umbrella of Cradle-to-Cradle certified products developed with zero waste design principles.

Water: Building a water stewardship strategy driven by science-based targets and backed by commitments and realized by collaborative partnerships where we’re recycling 85 percent of our water consumption and committed to be a zero liquid discharge company by 2025.  Becoming a LEED Platinum Certified facility with a biological treatment plant that eradicates the hazard of chemical sludge at the source.

Energy: Switching to solar energy and wind power as clean and renewable energy sources with the launch of Artistic Energy (PVT) Ltd., a fully owned subsidiary of Artistic Milliners.

Education: Establishing our own educational platform, Milliners MasterClass, and partnering with leading industry organizations to support the brands and retailers to explore and better understand the principles of circular design.

Carved in Blue: What new fabrics have you developed with REFIBRA™ Technology? 

Ebru: Artistic Milliners’ Circular Blue Platform is pivoted on embracing circularity for a more mindful future that stands for the good of land, air and ocean.

The unprecedented times take all the players of the supply chain to re-evaluate the link between concern for the future and the earth.

This concern is mirrored by how sustainability frames the future with a system that presents opportunities to re-imagine the design algorithm with limited consumption of resources and life-prolonging technologies before they end up as a waste.

This season, we are launching a capsule collection of eight new fabrics with TENCEL™ x REFIBRA™ fiber merged with Artistic Milliners’ exclusive S3 Yarn Technology: a combination of dual-core stability and cotton-rich hand-feel. It is called Reflection.

Reflection is addressing the future possibilities that help us identify the steps we need to take on a sustainability journey, as a way to keep resources in circulation much longer and at the highest possible value. It also connects us with our peers with a shared vision to build a collective circular future for fashion. 

This capsule package has blends of post-consumer waste recycled cotton, organic cotton and even 50 percent TENCEL™ x REFIBRA™ blended in the composition.

Reflection uses Crystal Clear 3.0 Technology, an updated version of the gamechanger clean dyeing process Crystal Clear with waterless and salt-free dyeing, embedding Jeanologia G2 Dynamic in the fabric finishing process, which overall saves up to 80 percent water.

AZGARD NINE

Pakistan

Aamir Muhammad, deputy general manager

Carved in Blue: How are you addressing SDG 12?

Aamir: We have already achieved the SDG 12 goal for 2020 that is environmentally sound management of chemicals. We have established a demonstrated chemical management system in line with ZDHC gateway and MRSL compliance requirement of global leading brands. All advanced chemistries that we are using are either Bluesign approved or Oeko-Tex certified. The usage of certified chemicals has ensured the transparency and sustainability at the manufacturing stage and minimal or no release to environment—water, air and sand—during textile processing. We keep on updating our ZDHC status and as of today, we stand at progressive level. Going forward, we are lifting our internal standards from ZDHC (zero discharge of hazardous chemicals) to ZLD (zero liquid discharge).

Carved in Blue: What new fabrics have you developed with REFIBRA™ Technology? 

Aamir: We have designed two new groups of articles based on REFIBRA™ technology.

Super Soft Glossy Denim: This is a stretch denim collection based on REFIBRA™ technology, organic cotton and Lurex. 

Super soft and active denim: This is a collection of power stretch articles based on REFIBRA™ technology, organic cotton and Dual FX technology.

CRESCENT BAHÜMAN

Pakistan

Rizwan Akbar, assistant vice president, marketing and R&D

Carved in Blue: How are you addressing SDG 12?

Rizwan: Sustainability and responsible manufacturing processes are of paramount importance to Crescent Bahüman Ltd. To focus on these critical elements, we have introduced numerous groundbreaking process improvements that will reduce the negative impact of manufacturing and save precious natural resources.

Naya Denim is a precision personified indigo dyeing process that almost saves 99.5 percent of water in dyeing. Furthermore, it also saves 80 percent of water in finishing.

We have also introduced hemp as an alternate raw material. Our goal is to reduce dependency upon cotton. As hemp blends in perfectly with TENCEL™ Lyocell, hemp x TENCEL™ Lyocell is what we are foreseeing as a sustainable solution. Hemp consumes almost 78 percent less water than cotton.

To go one step ahead by introduction of hemp X TENCEL™ Lyocell along with Naya Denim process we can save 90 percent of water that is traditionally consumed to produce one pair of jeans, which we have introduced as Kagu.

Carved in Blue: What new fabrics have you developed with REFIBRA™ Technology? 

Rizwan: We have developed a collection named Revive, which is a recollection and injection of post-consumer waste products. Ranging from 50 percent to 100 percent post-consumer materials, it comprises of post-consumer cotton, post-consumer PET bottles and REFIBRA™ Technology.

NAVEENA DENIM (NDL)

Pakistan

Rashid Iqbal, executive director

Carved in Blue: How are you addressing SDG 12?

Rashid: Since Naveena Group is member of UN SDG 12 program, we have already taken initiatives against SDG 12 responsible consumption and production as below.

• Energy conservation plan, renewable solar energy.  
• Looms phase-out plan with modern low energy consumption looms. 
• Sustainable green practices, process and material.
• Gender equality, human wellbeing.
• Water conservation/water stewardship.

Hopefully till October 2020 we will have their acknowledgement and certificate.  

Carved in Blue: What new fabrics have you developed with REFIBRA™ Technology? 

Rashid: We have designed a collection with REFIBRA™ Technology collaborating with Endrime, Lenzing and Jeanologia. More to come on this!  

Naveena Denim Mill (NDM)

Pakistan

Aydan Tüzün, executive director of global sales and marketing

Carved in Blue: How are you addressing SDG 12?

Aydan: We have been recently aligning our strategies with the SDGs and have signed the United Nations Global Compact to further reinforce our pledge to sustainability and promote change in the industry.

SDG 12 responsible consumption and production is of course a goal directly linked to our industry and we continuously invest in amplifying our positive impact in this regard.

Circularity is a really important concept which links production and consumption, that we have been focusing on lately. We have invested in a new PCW system to save cotton and recover waste from the market. With this new investment, we can process up to 5 tons of fabric per day, which can then be spun and woven back in with new cotton for completely new jeans.

In addition to goals related to processes and production, such as SDG 12 responsible consumption and production or SDG 13 climate action, we focus on SDGs related to creating shared value for the society such as SDG 3 health and well-being and SDG 4 quality education, too.

Carved in Blue: What new fabrics have you developed with REFIBRA™ Technology? 

Aydan: We apply REFIBRA™ Technology in different blends and different processes.

Our Zevolution fabrics use REFIBRA™ instead of cotton and look, feel and wear like any other denim, but without the impact of fertilizers and the pesticides. We offer this season 15-45 percent elasticity in 11-14 oz. fabrics. 

NEELA BLUE

Pakistan

Umer Farooq, senior manager marketing and sales

Carved in Blue: How are you addressing SDG 12?

Umer: At Neela, sustainability is in our roots. We are aware of the responsibilities we have as a corporate citizen and are taking continuous measures to improve the way we work and make an impact in the lives of the communities around us. Regarding SDG 12, we have taken an initiative to reuse 100 percent of the waste yarn within our spinning 2020 onwards.

On the gender side, we are working on diversity and bridge the gender gap in our work environment. Our aim is to increase the engagement of the women workforce by 50 percent within a couple of years at all levels of the organization.

Lastly, few Initiatives regarding saving of resources such as steam, water and chemicals is underway to help minimize their use and play our part as an equally responsible company.

Kingpins’ Most Sustainable Product – S/S 2021

Mill: Neela Blue

Product: Greeny by NB

Description: Made with 77 percent organic cotton and 22 percent post-consumer waste cotton, Greeny features a different technique of yarn spinning to create a new look and the use of post-consumer dyed waste means Greeny does not involve any dyeing at all—resulting in chemical and water savings as well as elimination of the discharge of polluted water. Greeny is certified by GRS, OCS and GOTS.

Carved in Blue: What new fabrics have you developed with REFIBRA™ Technology? 

Umer: ReActivate is Neela’s Answer to circularity.

Neela’s idea on continuous innovation is to introduce new products and technology in the denim world to meet the fast-fashion consumer’s desire. Also, seeking new approaches for fashion fabrics that engage recycled materials and stand for the good of land, air and ocean.

It’s time for a change, to do more with the resources we have available, in order to make a difference and evolve what we have done until now. It’s time to honor a change, to push forward and change the status quo. We need to no longer discard the things we perceive as waste and see them as something to reuse and cherish.

Revive Denim, a revolutionary certified GRS and OCS denim, uses post-consumer waste, organic cotton and REFIBRA™ Lyocell blended with a special process to reuse recycled yarn. It is 56 percent organic cotton, 21 percent PCW, 21 percent REFIBRA™ Lyocell and 2 percent Lycra.

The Neela team worked on a zero waste design idea: a new range of products built upon the idea of reusing the existing resources and find opportunities to create the best—and evolving—products with recycled ingredients. These kinds of fabrics are Ellen MacArthur Jeans Redesign compliant.

As per guidelines under SDG and our commitment to the environment, we are trying to play our part by innovating products that have no polluted water discharge, so you can remove all washings from the process. These are certified product under GRS, OCS and GOTS.

SM

Pakistan

Ali Kazmi, Director Marketing and R&D

Carved in Blue: How are you addressing SDG 12?

Ali: The present economic turmoil is affecting a lot of industries, specially the textile sector in our country, which can only be overcome if government, private sector and civil society will play their part effectively. Regarding SDG 12, If we seriously want to improve quality of life and reduce adverse ecological and social impacts in our industry, then we have to actively overcome unsustainable trends in our industry through the use of technical, organizational and social innovation and through the mutual commitment of all the stakeholders involved.

To implement this vision, SM Denim is expanding a lot in research and practices to ensure that the best sustainable methods should be integrated in everything we do. We have collaborated with companies like Repreve®, Creora, Primark for PSCP and genuinely working with some new ventures to promote the circular economy.

Besides, we have invested immensely in our infrastructure and machinery to align it with modern day ecological demands. Biological ETP plant by Joseph Egli, caustic recovery CRU plant, waste heat recovery plant, installation of efficient generators and lightings and investment in modern conservation by installing Karl Mayer Double Vario dyeing machine are some of our highlights to take the pledge of being a responsible producer to the next level.   

Carved in Blue: What new fabrics have you developed with REFIBRA™ Technology? 

Ali: Our main objective is to create high quality sustainable products, and to implement this our technical team is incorporating recycled materials in every product without comprising the aesthetics and quality.

REFIBRA™ Technology is a very special product not only for us but for the whole industry because TENCEL™ Lyocell itself is a good sustainable product and by combining it with recycled cotton with very good handfeel and performance make it a perfect material for sustainable denim.

Our exclusive sustainable collection with the name of Impact has certain articles made out 100 percent with REFIBRA™ Lyocell. We also have collection of Stay colors in REFIBRA™ Lyocell where we are promoting Stay black, Stay blue and Stay white concepts where REFIBRA™ Lyocell has been incorporated with other regenerated and recycled fibers to create a product line fully sustainable. The stay color and cotton-free concept has dual impact as to conserve water in pre-and post-consumer and industrial stages.

SOORTY

Pakistan

Eda Dikmen, marketing manager

Carved in Blue: How are you addressing SDG 12?

Eda: Also before the “Great Reset,” we have been en route to responsible consumption and production, simply because we believe that is the only way forward. We believe sustainability is not only a lifestyle, but a radical responsibility—especially for companies of scale, like ourselves. We know our production has an impact on the environment, on societies and on our future, and we are dedicated to make it a positive one. Being able to address denim production holistically, we are able to monitor, control and optimize various angles through our entire value chain.

We call this Smart Care—our commitment to conserve the environment and revolutionize the future of denim. It involves designing conscious systems of raw material sourcing, dyeing, finishing and washing while employing the principles of circularity. Respecting our planet by using its resources smartly. It enables us to design, develop and produce with consciousness and be part of the solution. It functions in three pillars: 

1. Smart material resourcing: responsible raw materials with excelled performance and lowest environmental impact—cellulose based, regenerative and responsible fibers and ZDHC compliant chemicals
2. Smart processing
3. Smart laundry: Over the past years, we have invested in disruptive technologies, and developed eco-efficient processes and laundry systems reducing the use of water, chemicals and energy with a strong focus on the human element, ensuring workers’ health and safety.

This is about design thinking—using less of what is limited, and making a much better use with it; about extending the lifecycle of products, about thinking what comes next after a pair of jeans is stopped being used. It is about considering the entire cycle and crafting products with a value and a purpose. Obviously, post Covid-19, our lives changed dramatically, including our consumption habits. So there are multiple ways we’re tackling the current needs, wants and future possibilities after the Great Reset.

Carved in Blue: What new fabrics have you developed with REFIBRA™ Technology? 

Eda: We are actively closing the loop in denim production with multiple initiatives that use only the most responsible options in a circular model, promoting a waste-free future. This includes our own state-of-the art recycling unit where we repurpose both PIW and PCW, offering C2C verification vertically in both fabrics and garments, recycling and reusing water, shifting to green energy and smart material resourcing. 

REFIBRA™ Technology is a keystone in our responsible sourcing and we use it across different containers in our collection. We have made beautiful developments in a wide array of options of elasticity levels, weights and compositions and to have a completely conscious offering we’ve implemented they are all dyed with the Zero Waste Water technology that saves up to 90 percent water in indigo dyeing when compared to conventional methods. The compositions vary in blends of TENCEL™ Lyocell, Umorfil Beauty Fiber and organic cotton and we add comfort of movement and elasticity in differing amounts too. As the price point comes up as a challenge though, we keep the existing articles in our offerings and selections while they don’t have any new developments.