PRODUCT the HOW s and WHY s of Recycling Denim A product developers guide on better denim
CONVENTIONAL DENIM. #1 99% Conventional cotton, 1% Elastane 75% Organic cotton. 25 % Recycled jeans. Environmental Impact of the fiber of one pair of jeans ABOUT THE DENIM Environmental Impact of the fiber of one pair of jeans: WATER: 3.600 liters The average conventional denim is made from 99 or 98 percent conventional cotton and 1 or 2 percent elastane. Conventional cotton scores a E on the Made-by fiber benchmark, mainly because of the heavy use of water needed to grow the fiber. In the diagram you can read the amounts of water, energy, chemicals and land that is needed to grow the cotton for 1 pair of jeans (600 gram). WATER: 320 liters 91 % less water ENERGY: 2.22 kwh ENERGY: 5 kwh 56 % less energy CHEMICALS: 1.2 gr Eutrophication potential 22 gr Acidification potential 10 gr CHEMICALS: 0 gr Eutrophication potential (EP) 12.4 gr Acidification potential (AC) 2.3 gr LAND USE: 9.3 M 2 The WHY? - Page 1 ABOUT THE DENIM PRESENT-DAY POSSIBILITIES Sustainable denim #1 represents the present-day industries possibilities of recycled denim. This garment exists out of 24 percent post-consumer recycled denim jeans, mechanically recycled at Recover, Spain. The remaining fibers of this fabric are made from Organic Cotton, which also has a lower environmental impact compared to conventional cotton, because of the lower use of water and harmful chemicals. 100 % less chemicals 44 % less EP 77 % less AC Fabric mill: Orta, Turkey Composition: 99% Cotton, 2% Elastane Fabric price: 4.50 SUSTAINABLE DENIM. #1 LAND USE: 7.1 M2 24 % less land The WHY? - Page 2 Fabric mill: Royo, Spain Composition: 75% Organic cotton, 25% Post-consumer recycled jeans. Fabric price: 4.95
CONVENTIONAL DENIM. #2 100% conventional cotton Environmental Impact of the fiber of one pair of jeans 50% Bio-chemical recycled cotton (lyocell), 50 % Mechanical recycled jeans. Environmental Impact of the fiber of one pair of jeans: SUSTAINABLE DENIM. #2 ABOUT THE DENIM: The conventional denim is made from 100 % Conventional cotton. This fiber scores a E on the made-by fiber benchmark, mainly because of the heavy use of water needed to grow the fiber. In the diagram you can read the amounts of water, energy, chemicals and land that is needed to grow the cotton for 1 pair of jeans (600 gram). Fabric mill: ORTA, Turkey Composition: 100 % Cotton Fabric price: 4.25 WATER: 3.600 liters ENERGY: 5 kwh CHEMICALS: 1.2 gr Eutrophication potential 22 gr Acidification potential 10 gr WATER: 79.5 liters 98 % less water + Water is re-usable ENERGY: 3.46 kwh 31 % less energy + renewable sources CHEMICALS: 0 gr Eutrophication potential (EP) 1.65 gr Acidification potential (AC) 1.75 gr 100 % less chemicals 93 % less EP 82 % less AC ABOUT THE DENIM: POSSIBLE IN 1 TO 3 YEARS TIME Denim #2 represents the nearby future of denim recycling. The cellulosic recycled fiber in the denim is created with the bio-chemical recycling of post-consumer cotton waste (denim jeans), something which is possible already on laboratory scale, and which will be possible on industry scale in a few years. On top of the cellulosic fiber (lyocell), the denim is made from mechanical post-consumer recycled denim. Together this makes a jeans of 100 percent recycled fiber possible. LAND USE: 9.3 M 2 LAND USE: 0 M 2 100 % less land Composition: 50% Lyocell from bio-chemical recycled cotton, 50 % post-consumer rmechanical ecycled cotton, The WHY? - Page 3 The WHY? - Page 4
the STAKEHOLDER MAP 1. The Who and Where - In the long and complex supply chain of recycling denim, the combining of the knowledge, investment and power of the multiple stakeholders in this industry, will greatly accelerate the transition towards a circular economy. To set up a circulair system, get in contact with the stakeholder found on the map. 3. 4. 6. 7. 2. 8. 5. 9. Legend Waste-Collection Companies 1. Sympany, Amsterdam, The Netherlands 2. ReShare, Utretch, The Netherlands I:CO, Surrey, England 3. Salvation Army, England/France/Germany Sorters 4. The Boer Group, Dordrecht, The Netherlands 5. Wieland Textiles, Wormerveer, The Netherlands 6. Valvan FIBERSORT, Menen, Belgium SOEX group, Ahrensburg, Germany Recycling companies Chemical recycling Worn Again, London, England Teijin, England/France/Germany 7. Resyntex, Brussels, Belgium Bio-Chemical Ioncell-F, Helsinki, Finland Re:newcell, Stockholm, Sweden 8. SaXcell, Enschede, The Netherlands Lenzing, Lenzing (place), Austria Mechanical 9. Texperium, Haaksbergen, The Netherlands Recover Tex, Valencia, Spain Filatures du Parc, Brassac, France The WHERE - Page 5 Denim mills Post-consumer recycled fabrics Royo Denim Valley, Valencia, Spain Orta Anadolu, Bahrain Pre-consumer recycled fabrics TRC Candiani, Milano, Italy Calik denim, Malatya, Turkey Orta Anadolu, Istanbul, Turkey Bossa, Istanbul, Turkey ISKO, Bursa, Turkey For stakeholder contact details and the interactive Stakeholder map go to: www.femkejonkmans.wix.com/recycledenim The WHERE - Page 6
the RECYCLING SUPPLY CHAIN SUPPLY CHAIN: WASTE-INPUT COLLECTION a. 1a. Industrial waste remaining fabric after pattern has been cut b. 1b. Pre-consumer waste damaged or unsold stock, returned as waste 2: -In-store collection -Donation containers -Waste-collection companies. SORTING RECYCLING 3a. Re-sold As second hand 4a. Mechanical Shredded and fiberized back into fibers. 3: Sorting Per colour and material. 4b. Chemical Solved with chemicals back into fibers This supply chain is an example of an circular system (or opencircle). This in contrast to the traditional linear take, make, dispose supply chain of the denim industry. Critical in the circular supply chain is the identification and elimination of waste. Waste is divided in three categories: industrial, pre-consumer- and post-consumer waste. 5. Blending and Spinning Recycled fibers are blend with virgin fibers for strength 6. Weaving Recycled yarn is mainly used in the weft, because of the tention on the warp. Industrial waste: c. 1c. Post-consumer waste Waste produced by the consumer, worn-out garments. 3b. Down-cycled Mainly as insulationmaterial The HOW? - Page 7 4c. Bio-chemical Cotton made into pulp with eco-solvent industry-wide there is a waste of 750 million meters due to fabric defects. back to a. 7. Cut, Make, Trim 8. Retail Industrial waste: Pre-consumer waste: Approx. 20% of denim fabric is cutting waste. back to a. 9. Consumption 10. Disposal Post-consumer waste: The EU generates yearly 16 million ton of textile waste, of which only 25-30 % is being collected. back to c. between 10-30 % of garments produced is never sold. back to b. The HOW? - Page 8 To make this supply chain productive, all stakeholders including consumers and from the business side design and development need to collaborate, and keep the circular supply chain in mind when designing and disposing.
Femke Jonkmans, Fashion and Management, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, June 2017 Femke Jonkmans, Amsterdam Fashion Institute, June 2017