Denim dyeing process ‘dramatically reduces’ water usage
19/11/2018
The process, which has been developed by researchers at Texas Tech University, uses foam rather than water to apply indigo dye to fabric. This eliminates the need for water and for the chemical baths typically used in the denim dyeing process.
Wrangler was among the early-stage funders of this research. Other investors included Lee, also part of the VF group, and the Wal-Mart Foundation.
“As a whole, the denim industry has been criticised for the use of water in the manufacturing process,” said Roian Atwood, director of sustainability for VF’s jeanswear and workwear divisions. “With this technology, we now have the tools to dramatically reduce the amount of water we use and minimise our environmental footprint.”
Wrangler said the foam dyeing method requires 3.5 gallons of water. It explained that this compares to 400 gallons for the traditional process for giving denim its colour.
To celebrate this new innovation, the brand will launch a collection in 2019 featuring denim that is 100% foam dyed.
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