Soorty’s bid for sustainable investments: “The business will follow”

Soorty, Pakistan’s largest vertically integrated denim company, continues to reinforce its commitment to sustainable fashion production. In comments for FashionUnited, the company explains that “The innovation and bid for sustainability is a long term investment which does not guarantee immediate business and revenue growth however it is a commitment to the businesses future.”

“Today all businesses relate to not only their shareholders but stakeholders. We at Soorty invest for the future of our business as well as for our stakeholder advantages. The sustainable investments are centered around technological progress, updated machinery which require capital investments as well as a new set up of a business model and present our dedication to make the denim and jeans industry better for the people and for the Earth. We believe that the business will follow.”

Sustained investment in environmentally friendly and socially conscious denim systems and tech

“Over the past years we have been investing in disruptive technologies and developed environmentally and socially conscious denim laundry systems reducing the use of water, hazardous chemicals and energy and a strong focus on the human value, ensuring workers health & safety,” explained in a media release earlier this year Sarfraz Cheema, COO and head of Sustainability at Soorty. Soorty’s business began as a shop in the 1980s. A decade later, the company started to focus on denim and created one of Pakistan’s most complex laundries for denim wet processing: “We were the first company to bring Tonello washers to Pakistan, leading the way for the rest of the industry” as per their corporate history.

In 2007, Soorty integrated backwards and established Soorty Denim. In 2011 they opened their own spinning space with a capacity of 60 tons/day and use their in-house recycling unit to recycle both the water and the fabrics and fibres they use. According to their corporate website, 40 percent of their cutting table waste goes into spinning, saving 7,5 tons of fibre /month. Soorty is also collaborating with I:CO to collect jeans that are no longer wanted and repurpose them. They note that their current shredding capacity is 2,5 tons / day.