In a move to bring clarity to sustainability claims in denim production, the Transformers Foundation, in partnership with NDL – Naveena Denim Ltd and the Indigo Council, has released the industry’s first cross-industry water usage benchmark for indigo dyeing processes. Titled “A Reference for Water Consumption During Indigo Dyeing”, the report is based on verifiable data from seven denim mills across Pakistan, Türkiye, Italy, and China, establishing both baseline and best-practice metrics for rope and slasher dyeing systems.
This collaborative effort included input from dye experts, chemical suppliers, mill technicians, and machinery makers such as Morrison Textile Machinery and Karl Mayer, with additional oversight from bluesign® and DyStar.
The study highlights significant variations in water use, especially during post-dye washing and rinsing phases, depending on the dyeing method. However, it also shows that water usage can be drastically reduced through accurate monitoring, smart water management, and consistent process control.
At a time when EU Green Claims Directive, UK Green Claims Code, and lawsuits in the US are targeting misleading environmental claims, this benchmark gives brands and mills a transparent, evidence-based framework to validate and compare sustainability efforts.
Key contributors to the Indigo Council include Candiani Denim, Crescent Bahuman, Diamond Denim, Soorty, Orta, Naveena Denim, and Advance Denim.
Andrew Olah, Founder, Transformers Foundation, emphasized,
“Real sustainability requires real data. This report finally replaces vague marketing claims like ‘80% less water’ with verified industry-wide benchmarks.”
Rashid Iqbal, Executive Director, Naveena Denim, stated,
“By setting industrial standards, we move sustainability beyond buzzwords and into real accountability.”
Paolo Leidi, Technical Director at Transformers, added,
“Our goal wasn’t to rank mills but to empower stakeholders with meaningful data. This proves transparency and cooperation are possible—even among competitors.”
The full report will be available from July 23 at 9 AM ET on transformersfoundation.org/indigo.
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