Advances in the Jeans Finishing Industry Towards a More Sustainable Production Model

Avances de la industria del acabado de jeans en su transformación hacia un modelo de producción más sostenible

Abstracts del 4rt Congrés d’Economia i Empresa de Catalunya

The jeans industry is one of the most iconic within the textile sector but also one with a significant environmental impact. From cotton production to the processing and finishing of the final product, the manufacturing process of jeans can be highly polluting. The complexity of the manufacturing chain and the high number of stages, often carried out by different companies, make it difficult to objectively analyze the impact at each stage of the production. However, one of the areas recognized as having the greatest impact is garment finishing, where complex processes combining dry and wet treatment techniques are applied to achieve a specific appearance and garment performance. The jeans finishing industry has been and continues to be a primary focus for reducing environmental impact in jeans manufacturing. Currently, various technological alternatives exist that significantly reduce environmental and human impact compared to traditional techniques by reducing water and energy use, implementing safer chemicals, and replacing manual techniques that negatively affect workers' health. This work aims, through the EIM environmental impact measurement software, to analyze data from more than 19,000 measured jean styles to offer a clear view of the current industry. The impact categories collected by EIM (water and energy use, characteristics of the chemicals used, and the impact on workers from manual garment treatments) will be analyzed, as well as the available alternatives to reduce this impact. Furthermore, the analysis will help identify the main challenges of this industry to advance towards a sustainable transformation. This work also aims to lay the foundations for monitoring progress in this field.

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