Why Maritaş Linked with Academia to Raise Regenerative Cotton Awareness
Regenerative agriculture has been getting more buzz in the denim industry, and for good reason. This method of growing plants—including cotton—protects soil health and biodiversity, leading to better carbon capture, improved working conditions and more position outcomes for the planet.
Türkiye’s Maritaş is among the denim mills actively supporting and studying the impact of regenerative cotton agriculture. With a grant from The Scientific & Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TUBITAK), Maritaş is working with Harran University and Gaziantep University on regenerative research. “The project proposal is the first university-industry cooperation in our country on regenerative cotton fiber production and its use in the textile industry,” said Banu Yenici, marketing director and projects lead at Maritaş. “The most important national objective of the project is to raise awareness in favor of regenerative agricultural practices in cotton fiber production in the Harran Plain.”
The Harran Plain is a fertile plain in Upper Mesopotamia that has been irrigated since the 1990s when the Atatürk Dam was completed, bringing water from the Euphrates River to this part of Turkiye’s Güneydoğu Anadolu Projesi (GAP) development.
“The project was prepared to support Maritaş Denim’s sustainable production policy, to contribute to the limited regenerative cotton fiber production studies in our country, national and international literature by conducting process analysis on regenerative cotton agriculture, to contribute to the development of basic principles for regenerative cotton fiber production, to obtain data that will have commercial value by examining the properties of regenerative and conventional cotton fiber and yarn and denim fabric produced using these fibers,” Banu explained.
As part of the initiative, Maritaş is working with professors at the partner schools to design lessons and training programs to educate local farmers on regenerative practices. “This project is far beyond and considering the future of textile and their links to soil, nature and people,” said Banu.
Maritaş is sourcing cotton from farms only 200 kilometers from its denim factory, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by maintaining a close supply.
Banu noted that it is still early days, and there is not a huge difference in fiber and soil evaluation. However, there has been a big reduction in consumption of fertilizer, chemicals and water, which are reason enough to keep on its path.
At Maritaş, the “dream” is to have all of its cotton eventually come from regenerative or organic sources, and all other materials be biodegradable and recyclable, creating fully circular garments.
When it comes to growing the use of regenerative cotton, Banu said the focus should be at the top of the supply chain.
“The most important move is to design circular fabrics from the start,” she said. “Raw material is the key, I believe in strongly. Yes, recycling and reuse concepts are surging but are still a small percentage of our business. So better to move on regenerative, organic, etc. sustainable materials to get a faster transition. Sure, customer demand is also an important indicator, but as I see customers’ education is still slow and challenging with actual inflation rates in the world, so they cannot be picky as we expected.”
Maritaş is one of 18 mills that participated in the TENCEL™ x Regenerative Cotton collection, creating pieces from a mix of TENCEL™ Lyocell and regenerative cotton. Speaking about the two materials, Banu said, “If I would describe this combination, it would be the best couples to dance: focused, confidence and resiliency. We all set goals or challenges, but together we hit the marks easily.”