Report debunks common denim myths
18/06/2025
Drawing on the Transformers Foundation’s report “Cotton: A case study in misinformation”, released in 2021, Fashion for Good points out that cotton plants are drought resistant. It also exposes the faulty data surrounding water usage to make a pair of jeans. It debunks the commonly reported datapoint that 20,000 litres of water are needed to make a pair of jeans, noting that “global averages range from 1,500 to 7,000 litres, depending on region, with rainfed cotton requiring significantly less irrigation than commonly believed”.
The Amsterdam-based organisation has incubated many innovative textile start-ups over the years and cites some of those that have created solutions to reduce the denim industry’s impacts. These include the high-resolution digital printing system developed by NTX Cooltrans, Sonovia’s ultrasound dyeing process for indigo, and CleanKore’s dyeing technology.
Among the efforts to promote circularity, Fashion for Good cites Resortecs, whose dissolving thread can speed up disassembly, along with Santis Textile’s 100% recycled denim fabrics, and Purfi’s reverse spinning technology. It also supports the new global focus of the Denim Deal, which seeks to stir collective action.
To access the paper, click here.
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