Billy Hunter reports from Expofil/ Premiere Vision

Lenzing has launched its Tencel botanic denim for ecoists here at Expofil/ Premiere Vision. There is no doubt that denim manufacturing has a high environmental impact and in response Lenzing in collaboration with supply chain partners, proposes to optimize the production process from fibre to finished garment, using the latest thinking and best technology available to create true ‘low impact’ denim jeans.

Lenzing says that the simple addition of Tencel to conventional authentic cotton jeans can improve the environmental profile significantly. If only 25% of Tencel is blended into denim fabrics, the area under cultivation for cotton and the consumption of water can be reduced by over 20%. The fabric is majority cotton, minority Tencel blend and the cotton content has to be organic or transitional cotton plus a percentage of recycled cotton.

In Lenzing’s eco-denim the fabrics can be woven with 100% cotton warp/ 100% cotton weft or with a cotton/Tencel blend warp and cotton/ Tencel weft.

Processing

Lenzing’s processing option approved by GOTS and the Control Union is the application of a pre-reduced synthetic indigo system which Lenzing says can be applied easily on Tencel denim. Garment washing trials have also shown that existing processes can be optimized in respect of chemical, water and energy consumption. In addition, the optimisation of the typical garment washing processes allowed on Tencel jeans has resulted in reductions in water usage of 45% and a lower chemical impact of 35%.

Sewing threads

Lenzing says that a good alternative to sewing threads made of polyester are sewing threads made from 100% Tencel. The high tenacity of the Tencel fibre in both the wet and dry state makes sewing threads from Tencel possible and another benefit is the recyclability.

Recycling

Lenzing has an interest in all aspects of the closed loop technologies and all elements of its denim garment will be recyclable or reuseable, from the 100% cellulosic fabric to the recyclable plastic zipper. Lenzing is also keen to stress that Tencel is also part of the ultimate recycling closed loop system of all – the cellulose cycle.