Pratteln, Switzerland, 3 April 2024 – With the aim to help the denim industry reduce the environmental impact of its wastewater and move towards circularity, three leaders from across the denim supply chain have renewed their joint commitment to the production of aniline-free denim apparel based on Archroma’s DENISOL® PURE INDIGO 30.
Their joint aim is to produce high-quality denim in authentic blue shades without the aniline impurity carried through from the synthesis of standard synthetic indigo. In traditional denim production, this aniline remains bound with the indigo pigment on the fabric; the remaining aniline is discharged during the dyeing and washing process.
Archroma developed DENISOL® PURE INDIGO 30 to answer this key challenge. A 30% pre-reduced indigo solution, DENISOL® PURE INDIGO 30 makes it possible to produce indigo-dyed denim without aniline impurities throughout the process.
Easy to use with automated dosing, DENISOL® PURE INDIGO 30 significantly reduces the water needed for preparation, washing and wastewater treatment compared to indigo grains. It also reduces hazardous chemical consumption while allowing high reproducibility and creating the authentic and iconic deep indigo shades traditionally associated with denim.
“If we remove aniline from the indigo dyes, we also remove it from the denim production process and its wastewater, and thus eliminate the risk of pollution. Denim that is free of aniline can also be more efficiently and sustainability recycled and reused, making circularity a more viable option,” Umberto De Vita, Market Segment Director for Denim, Archroma Textile Effects.
“To be here as the denim brand in the future, G-Star RAW challenges industry standards,” Rebecka Sancho, G-Star RAW said. “We push boundaries in our journey to further close the loop by using sustainable materials, clean chemistry and by designing for durability and reuse.
G-Star RAW is working towards making 20% of its entire collection from Cradle to Cradle Certified® fabrics by 2025. Its partnership with Archroma and Advance Denim contributes to this goal, since the aniline-free DENISOL® holds a Gold Level Material Health Certificate from the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute. DENISOL®
