Clariant provides innovative technology for more environmentally sound jeans manufacturing

Novel manufacturing technique could save approx. 62 billion liters of water per year
Annual energy savings of approx. 220 million kWh and waste water reductions of approx 8.3 billion liters
Bestowed with globally prestigious ICIS Innovation Award 2012

Muttenz, October 22, 2012 – Swiss specialty chemicals company Clariant has developed an innovative process technology for more environmentally sound jeans manufacturing. In contrast to traditional production methods, the new technology reduces the water consumption by up to 92 per cent, prevents approx. 63 per cent of cotton waste and saves up to 30 per cent of the required energy. If only 25 per cent of all jeans worldwide were manufactured according to the “Advanced Denim” process, water savings would amount to some 62 billion liters (more than 16 billion U.S. gallons) per year. This equals a water need of around 1.7 million people. Furthermore, the novel technology prevents, according to Clariants calculations, 8.3 billion liters (almost 2.2 billion U.S. gallons) of waste water and saves around 220 million kilowatt hours of energy, annually. The figures were stated by the company’s Executive Committee member Mathias Lütgendorf on the occasion of the announcement of the winner of the internationally prestigious ICIS Innovation Award 2012. “It is encouraging to see how positive jeans manufacturers and customers have been responding to this revolutionary and even more eco-friendly technology. After all, jeans have been produced for more than 150 years. With innovations such as Advanced Denim, we are laying the operative and technological foundation for sustained profitable and socially acceptable growth. Clariant will be investing more than ever in innovative products for current and future megatrends,” Lütgendorf added. Earlier, the company had already earned the EU Ecolabel* for this new technology.

* The EU Ecolabel is recognized in all member states of the European Union as well as by Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland and Switzerland. Introduced by EU Council Regulation EEC 880/92 in 1992, the voluntary label has emerged as a reference for consumers who wish to make a contribution to reducing the environmental impact by using eco-friendlier products and services.