JOHANNESBURG SOUTH – Woolworths has adopted an innovative manufacturing process that uses 12x 500ml recycled plastic bottles to manufacture each pair of recycled denims. This process uses eco-chemicals, reduces water usage by 67 per cent, and reduces energy usage by 62 per cent, thereby enhancing the environmental benefits even further.
The recycled denim product – as well as its manufacturing process – is informed by intensive research recently conducted by Woolworths, in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) and Green House, on sustainable fabrics used in clothing. The research took the form of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), which typically assesses a product system against:
- Resource consumption (fossil fuel and mineral resource use);
- Impacts on human health (release of substances toxic to humans, substances that destroy the ozone layer, and substances that cause respiratory illnesses);
- Impacts on global climate (global warming potential or carbon footprint); and
- Impacts on ecosystems (release of substances toxic to ecosystems, acidifying substances and excessive macronutrients, as well as impacts due to land occupation and transformation).
Justin Smith, Head of Sustainability at Woolworths, said, “We adopted a lifecycle-based approach as our decisions regarding sustainability are not isolated, but rather taken within the context of a larger system and strategy.
“This approach aims to enhance or upgrade entire systems or value chains and not just single parts of systems, thereby avoiding decisions that fix one environmental problem but cause another unexpected environmental problem (like mitigating air pollution but increasing water pollution).”
Cotton, polyester and viscose fibres were assessed to determine their overall environmental impact across their life cycle.
The research revealed the following key insights about traditional denim production:
- 90 litres of water are used to manufacture a pair of ‘normal wash’ jeans, while 35 litres of water are used to manufacture a pair of recycled jeans.
- Cotton production can have a number of negative impacts in terms of water and chemical use.
- Polyester has a lower water impact, while recycled polyester was the most environmentally responsible choice across the options assessed.
“The launch of this range is an exciting milestone in the Woolworths WWF partnership. It is evidence of Woolworths’ commitment to look beyond ‘good housekeeping’; extending its strategy to relieve environmental pressure throughout the supply chain. So, not only did they apply the necessary scientific rigour and include the full spectrum of negative impacts – not just the carbon footprint – but also demonstrated commitment in recasting their approach to textile procurement and customer choice,” said Tatjana von Bormann, market transformation manager at WWF.
“Entrenching sustainability attributes in a mainstream product like a pair of RE: denim jeans is also an important message that sustainability isn’t just about complicated environmental or social issues that Governments and companies have to deal with, but can also be part of all of our daily decisions as consumers”, concluded Smith.
The new jeans, as well as the research informing its production, are part of an ongoing drive within Woolworths to be the most sustainable retailer in the Southern Hemisphere.
