More brands have joined the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Jeans Redesign programme to improve the durability, recyclability and traceability of their products, while the guidelines have also been extended to admit denim mills for the first time.
Jeans Redesign, created through the foundation’s Make Fashion Circular initiative, is based on the principles of the circular economy and aims to ensure jeans are made in a way that is better for the environment and the health of garment workers.
Following the launch of the initiative in July this year, more denim brands, including leading players Ateliers & Repairs and Guess, have now come on board while the guidelines have also been extended to admit denim mills.
Fabric mills who sign up must must implement ZDHC (Zero Discharge Hazardous Chemicals) wastewater guidelines, including testing and reporting, and produce no more than 0.025 m3 of wastewater per yard, as well as meeting the other requirements of the programme. New signatories to the programme include brands BAM Bamboo Clothing, Blue of a Kind, Fairblue Jeans, and Frank and Oak, as well as the aforementioned Ateliers & Repairs and Guess.
Fabric mills signing up are the Advance denim mill, Artistic Miliners, Cone Denim, Demko, House of Gold – through Blue Diamond: Xingtai H&J Textiles Co Ltd, and Soorty. Manufacturers admitted to Jeans Redesign include Denim Expert, Denim Village and Frontline. They join participants who signed up earlier this year including Arvind Limited, Bestseller – through the Vero Moda brand, Boyish Jeans, C&A, GAP, Hirdaramani, H&M, HNST, Kipas, Lee, Mud Jeans, Outerknown, Reformation, Saitex and Tommy Hilfiger.
Francois Souchet, Make Fashion Circular lead with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, said: “More companies joining the Jeans Redesign demonstrates the appetite in the industry for practical solutions that support the transition to a thriving fashion industry, where all our clothes are used for longer, are made from safe and renewable materials, and are made to be made again.
“This kind of industry-wide shift needs companies from across fashion to work together. Fabric mills are vital to this transformation and we are excited to bring them on board as part of the Jeans Redesign.”
The first pairs of the redesigned jeans are expected to be on sale in autumn 2020.
