Denim: The future of sustainable fabric

  • Sabiha Moontaha

Textile Industry at its highest alert on sustainable Denim

Whenever you are asked about a jeans or denim, the picture that comes to your imagination is a sturdy, indigo dyed cotton fabric that has worn out effect or just a little bit of distressing. It is a cotton twill fabric that is used to make a variety of clothing items, including jeans, jackets, skirts, shorts, and dresses. However, the denim industry has come under fire in recent years for its negative impact on the environment. The production of denim fabric requires a lot of ingredients that are harmful for environment and the denim industry has been ignoring the pollution since the starting. But in recent years the industry is growing and people are taking steps to make the industry a little better, so the production process is made more sustainable than ever with some technology and process optimizations.


Figure: Denim fabric that is currently taking the world into its grasp. 

Sustainability and denim

Sustainable denim refers to a fabric that has minimum negative impact on environment, produced in a way to consider the fabric usage and consumption. This includes reducing water consumption, eco-friendlier dyes and chemicals and of course the recycling process. In recent years’ denim industry has been trying on their own to make a change and reduce the water pollution through various means. The giant companies are trying to reduce the carbon foot print and increasing reuse of denim fabric. Sustainability is a process that can’t be achieved within a day or month, it takes months to organize, it requires supply chain maintenance, collaboration between stakeholders, including manufacturers, designers, retailers and consumers.

Challenges and solutions

1: Water usage

One of the crucial challenge the denim industry is facing is the usage of water. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), it takes approximately 7,000 liters of water to produce one pair of jeans. It is a burning issue in today’s world where there is scarcity of drinking water and most of the rivers in denim producing countries are polluted with the water wastage. 


To address this issue, some denim manufacturers are implementing new production techniques that require less water. For example, in 2011, Levi Strauss & Co. has developed a new process of their own called Water<Less™ process including recycling 20% of the waste water and more techniques to save water such as using up to 96% less water in the finishing process.

Nowadays 60% of their clothing materials are made with these technologies and they are spreading awareness by sharing some techniques to reduce water consumption worldwide. Similarly, G-Star RAW has developed a process that uses recycled water in its production.

2: Chemical wastage

There are several steps to produce a denim fabric, each one of them includes various chemicals that are harmful for the environment. There are two major steps where chemicals are used, one is the production of indigo dyed yarn, another is the washing step. These steps include chemicals like dyes, auxiliaries, bleaches, finishing agents. These chemicals can, not only be harmful to the environment but also to the workers who handle them.

Some denim manufacturers are using more environmentally friendly chemicals like natural dyes, various chemicals to break down the harmful particles of these chemicals into non-toxic compounds. For example, Nudie Jeans uses organic cotton and non-toxic dyes in its production. (to know more about their sustainability, browse https://www.nudiejeans.com/sustainability/not-just-denim) Similarly, Mud Jeans uses a closed-loop system that recycles water and uses less harmful chemicals.

3: Recycling

One of the biggest problem the denim industry is facing is the recycling process. Recycling process can be of different categories. It can be recycled water, recycled raw materials and so on. However, Recycling is another key aspect of sustainable denim production. By using recycled denim, manufacturers can reduce the amount of waste and energy required to produce new denim.

According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the fashion industry produces 92 million tons of waste each year. By using recycled denim, the industry can help to reduce this waste and promote a more circular economy. Many denim manufacturers are already using recycled denim in their production. For example, Patagonia has a line of denim that is made from 100% organic cotton and 100% recycled polyester. Similarly, RE/DONE uses vintage Levi's® jeans to create new denim styles.

Bangladesh and denim industry

Bangladesh is the top exporting country of Denim in the US market and it has remained unchanged for past 3 years. Sustainable denim can be a life changing game for Bangladesh as next to go industry. The growing industry is now worth total 67.72 billion US dollars where Bangladesh has more than 23% share of the market of USA.


An insight from statista shows that the growth of this industry will be 95.2 billion US dollar by the end of this decade. 

As the growing market economy wants more sustainable product and additionally, sustainable denim can be a way for companies to differentiate themselves from their competitors and appeal to environmentally conscious consumers. According to a survey by Nielsen, 73% of millennials are willing to pay more for sustainable products. By embracing sustainability, the denim industry in Bangladesh can tap into this growing market and increase its bottom line.

While there are still challenges to be overcome, such as reducing water usage and using more environmentally friendly chemicals, many denim manufacturers are already taking steps towards a more sustainable future. Bangladesh has been the top exporter and to grab more of the industry Bangladesh should walk toward the sustainable denim to hold its position.