In June, brands, retailers and innovative companies have shown that sustainability is no longer just a buzzword but is becoming an everyday reality. It is heartening to see that many denim companies are looking for environmentally friendly solutions and that brands are setting sustainable goals for themselves. FashionUnited is thrilled to see its list of sustainable efforts grow steadily every month; here are those announced in the month of June alone.

Breakthroughs in denim

American footwear brand Converse is introducing a new line called "Renew Denim" made from worn denims and recycled materials, aiming to create millions of products in its Chuck Taylor All Star and Chuck 70 silhouettes using upcycled materials.
Converse to create line of Chuck Taylors made from discarded denim

Italian denim producer Candiani SpA has won the ITMA Sustainable Innovation Award for its innovative product Candiani Re-Gen, a ‘circular denim’ fabric created from regenerated and recycled raw materials.
Denim maker Candiani wins ITMA Sustainable Innovation Award

Gap Inc.-owned American clothing and accessories retailer Banana Republic partnered with Spanish denim mill Tejidos Royo to bring to market a line of denim through an innovative indigo foam-dyeing technique, also called the Dry Indigo process that reduces water usage by up to 99 percent.
Banana Republic announces waterless dyed denim for 2020

Las Vegas-based online retailer Zappos has partnered with Cotton Inc. on the latter's Blue Jeans Go Green program to help consumers recycle denim. Zappos offers consumers a three-step process to donate unwanted denim products that are then turned into insulation.
Zappos partners with Cotton Inc's Blue Jeans Go Green program

British fashion and lifestyle brand White Stuff, in partnership with Saitex, one of the cleanest and most sustainable factories in the world, will launch a new range of jeans with a conscience for autumn/winter 2019 as part of its strategy to protect the environment. The jeans also prevents environmental pollution as toxic by-products are used to make bricks for building projects within the local community.
White Stuff introducing sustainable denim

US denim brand Wrangler is the first company to launch foam-dyed denim under the name Indigood. In the Dry-Indigo technology, no water is used and wastewater is virtually eliminated. Compared to traditional dyeing processes, 60 percent waste will be reduced and less energy consumed.
Wrangler launches first foam-dyed denim collection

Setting sustainable goals

British luxury brand Burberry added two emissions-based climate goals to its 2022 responsibility strategy. The first target focuses on emissions from the company’s direct operations; the second targets the greenhouse gas emissions from the extended supply chain.
Burberry adds two new emissions targets to sustainability strategy

Austrian fiber producer Lenzing Group aims to achieve zero CO2 emissions by 2050 by investing more than 100 million euros for converting to renewable energies, new technologies and for the production of its highly eco-responsible, Tencel-branded lyocell fibers, wanting to offer consumers textiles with an environmentally responsible footprint.
Lenzing Group to become world’s first carbon neutral fiber producer

American brand Ralph Lauren announced a sustainability pledge through the initiative Design the Change, and wants to achieve 100 percent sustainably-sourced key materials by 2025. By 2020, the company wants to train its design, product development and merchant teams on sustainable, circular, inclusive and culturally aware designs.
Ralph Lauren announces Design the Change sustainability pledge

US fashion giant Gap Inc. plans to source 100 percent of its cotton from more sustainable sources by 2025. Gap wants to procure sustainably grown and sourced cotton and support innovations that protect natural resources and promotes cleaner, safer communities for families around the world.
Gap announces plan for 100 percent sustainable cotton

Fibres, fabrics and other cool new stuff

Software platform Teemill makes t-shirts using recycled, natural materials (not plastics), including the packaging, and every product is designed to be returned for recycling when it is worn out. The products are made after the order is placed, so there is no overproduction and therefore no waste. Teemill provides its platform and technology for free.
How Teemill is making circular fashion stylish and open source

The global sustainability initiative Fashion for Good has launched a new theme called "Colour", given that synthetic textile dyeing accounts for 20 percent of global water pollution and is responsible for countless health and environmental problems associated with 8,000 chemicals used. Six brands and designers have looked for alternatives to traditional dyeing processes, which they present in the Good Shop.
Fashion for Good introduces new theme "Colour"

Argentinean industrial designer Silvio Tinello has developed a material from the waste of yerba mate - a type of holly plant which is used as a national drink in Argentina - to create sustainable fashion garments.
Meet the Argentinean designer making fashion from yerba mate

Stay tuned for our update on new sustainable initiatives in the fashion world next month.

Photos: left to right: Tommy Jeans (jacket), Rombaut, Popupshop / credit: Dave Pelham Photography