Jeanologia on how to make the denim industry more sustainable

It can be said that the textile industry is the second most polluting industry in the world and in particular, the production of denim apparel is one of the most polluting of them all, especially in terms of water and chemical consumption. “Currently, five billion pairs of jeans are produced every year. To produce these, about 420 million m3 of water and 900,000 tons of chemicals are used and over 2 million people are exposed to techniques that are detrimental to their health,” explains Carmen Silla, Director of Marketing and Communication at Jeanologia, who is faced with this dilemma.

Faced with this reality, more and more denim companies are contributing to improving the sector. One of the oldest of them all is Jeanologia, a sustainable finishing company. This main objective of Jeanologia, which is based in Paterna (Valencia), is to create an ethical, sustainable and eco-efficient textile finishing industry. It was founded to “transform the textile finishing industry through technology and know-how combining science, fashion, creativity and market needs,” according to Silla.

Among its major pillars is its desire to achieve “a substantial change in production models, aimed at automation, productivity and social responsibility,” she adds. Although demonstrating that through technology it is possible to obtain authentic products and introduce R&D in a world that thrives on tradition, these traditions have been some of the obstacles that Jeanologia has encountered over the past 24 years.

The sustainable transformation of the denim industry

“At Jeanologia we are aware that this situation is unsustainable and we want to transform the industry by reducing the consumption of water and chemicals as well as waste,” says Silla. That is why its goal is “to reduce the environmental impact of the global production of jeans by 50 percent, calculated in terms of consumption of water, energy and chemicals consumed by denim items produced.” But how? By using the “Jeanologia Laser, G2 ozone and the eFlow nanobubbles technology, an average reduction of 20 litres of water, 5 g chemical and 1 kw/h can be achieved, for example,” says Silla. Using one of the latest technologies launched by Jeanologia, namely ‘One Glass One Garment’, it is possible to develop garments in which only one glass of water is consumed during their production.

Therefore, it is not surprising that the world's leading brands want to work with them. In fact, to date, "20 percent of global industry’s production uses Jeanologia technology," explains Silla. In Spain, they work with the main jeans production plants, as well as with Inditex and El Corte Inglés. On the international front, companies like Levi's, Polo Jeans, Abercrombie & Fitch, Edwin Japan, Pepe Jeans, Diesel, Hilfiger Denim, CK, Jack & Jones, Lee, Replay and other large retailers like M & S, GAP, Uniqlo and H & M are also found among its client portfolio. Its technology is also used in five continents, more specifically in sixty countries including the United States, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Portugal, India, China, Russia, Japan, Morocco, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Turkey, Tunisia and Vietnam.

India, the world's second-largest textile manufacturer

Currently, major European and American brands source their raw materials for their collections or finishes for their products from India. It has become the second largest textile-driven export country in the world, after China and it is undoubtedly a key market for the company. In fact, they have taken on the challenge of transforming the country's denim production centres. “Jeanologia technology has been used in India for 13 years and is currently a technology partner of major brands and laundries,” adds Sill, “helping to improve its competitiveness, “increase production and eliminate all processes detrimental to workers and the environment.”

Photos: Jeanologia