Ereks-Blue Matters pivots from pumice stones
Ereks-Blue Matters, an Istanbul-headquartered “responsible” production and washing platform, has recently replaced 25% of its existing production with certified and recyclable “eco stones” instead of pumice stones.
The intention is to increase this to 50% of production during 2022, with all new products to be developed without the use of pumice going forward.
Ereks-Blue Matters told Inside Denim that it first identified environmental and operational risks associated with using pumice stones several months ago, resulting in the need to source alternatives.
The enterprise stated that a major problem was that the stones often end up as sludge following mechanical abrasion and the water treatment process. This sludge is then incinerated or landfilled, causing a decrease in soil health, biodiversity and a release of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere, the company described.
Operationally, small stone particles can also damage the wastewater treatment system by blocking the pumps. This reduces efficiency.
Through working with fellow Turkish partners Baytech – HMS and Kaiser Tekstil, Ereks-Blue Matters developed two effective wash recipes with what it is calling “eco stones”, as well as enzymes.
Another partner, UK-based Blu-Label, helped to calculate the environmental impact of switching from pumice stones during the production process.
According to Blu-Label data, Ereks-Blue Matters will be able to save 460 tonnes of carbon dioxide from eliminating the cause of pumice stone sludge and, therefore, saving this substance from going to landfill. On the incineration side, 22 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions could be saved.
“We have to say that replacing an iconic and well-known product such as pumice is not easy,” the production and wash platform told us. “We have lots of different fabrics, washes and requests coming from our customers, but we also know that we have to minimise our impact on nature. We are in a transition stage.”
Image: Ereks-Blue Matters’ facility in Corlu, Turkey. Credit: Ereks-Blue Matters
