The indigo blues of the world’s favorite fabric are typically considered to be just that – dyed using indigo. Our reliance on this pure organic compound, imported from India to hide dirt on the clothing of the workers who originally wore it, has decreased as artificial dyes have become more prevalent. Still, indigo (and its chemically synthesized imitators) are go-to’s for the fabric we can’t get enough of: denim.
As the scale of denim production has skyrocketed over the past several decades, its impact on the planet has gone up along with it. Both indigo and its copycats, as it turns out, leave an exceptionally large footprint on the surrounding environment – and the scale of this damage is taking its toll. Enter Crescent Bahuman Limited (CBL).
Within the fashion industry, Pakistan-based denim supplier CBL has a reputation for innovation. It’s no wonder – having always prioritized sustainability, CBL was the first vertically integrated denim jeans operation in its home country and is often at the forefront of new initiatives within the denim sector. One of their latest new dyeing technologies, Blue Infinity, is no exception.
Blue Infinity enables denim producers to create denim in a nearly infinite number of shades and wash-down style options. It can create the desired effect both without the need for trial and error (as is common in standard dyeing processes) and without the use of indigo. What’s more, Blue Infinity technology reduces denim production’s energy consumption by up to 50%, its water consumption by up to 70%, and its chemical consumption by up to 90%(!).
Reaping the rewards
Adopting Blue Infinity into CBL’s production process took about 9 months, from start to finish. The investment included new equipment as well as extensive training for the operators of it. The result? An improvement in quality and durability of the fabrics produced and an uptick in worker health and safety, not to mention the significant environmental benefits.
In addition to using less water, energy, and chemicals, Blue Infinity also produces less waste in its reduction of salt effluent and other required resources. What’s more, all chemicals used within the Blue Infinity process are GOTS 6.0-approved, meaning they have been designated as approved for the environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing of organic textiles. The dye itself meets all restricted substance list (RSL) requirements outlined by most major brands and retailers.
Blue Infinity isn’t just made for luxury denim materials – or the basic ones, for that matter. It’s a dyeing solution that can be used for a wide range of denim garments to achieve many different looks and styles as well as a huge spectrum of shades, from bright blues to more subtle gray and green tones.
In short, this low impact dyeing process is for denim across the spectrum. Its reputation is growing as end consumers become increasingly sustainability-savvy and demand more eco-friendly denim production to back what’s in their closets. It’s no longer about finding the lowest price on a piece of clothing to be worn just a handful of times; instead, buyers are diving into which brands are prioritizing the planet, choosing to spend more on a couple of sustainably made pieces that last – and when it comes to denim, that’s Blue Infinity.
Get your hands on Blue Infinity
Material Exchange’s Best of Denim showroom offers an expansive collection of CBL’s Blue Infinity sustainable denim fabrics, available for your perusal in our Indigo Innovation collection. Select your favorites and order samples for delivery to your doorstep. Take your jean-making to new heights and infinite possibilities with Blue Infinity.
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