It’s no longer a secret that we need to take responsibility when it comes to Mother Earth. We need to slow down on certain things. And we need to take care of each other these times, but especially also for nature. In the past, most people and industries were not paying as much attention to this as these days. Luckily, most mindsets changed over the years and also within the denim industry. Major and big steps were made to a better and brighter future. And these are not small kids' steps, but giant steps in the right direction. All for a cleaner a better tomorrow. This is needed so our grandchildren can enjoy the beautiful world as much as we did, and still doing! Back in the day, sustainability and taking care of how a certain pair of jeans was produced wasn’t a key focus. It was most of the time about the look and feel of a pair. Nobody cared how it was produced. Where it was produced. Which type of cotton was used? If the look was right, the jeans were ready to rock. Times are changing, and so is the mindset. It is relevant to how something is produced. And where all the ingredients are coming from. Jeans become more than just a jeans. Next to the branding value, and looks of a brand, you want to be part of their community. And part of this community is also the approach of a brand. How they handle these days. How they care about how something is produced. Some brands design a pair of jeans with the mindset that they can be recycled easily after their lifespan. This means that a designer is thinking on forehand how a pair could be reused without pressuring the earth too much. In other words, how can a pair of jeans get a second life the easiest? This sounds maybe weird that a denim designer already thinks before an actual jeans is made how it can be used in the most circular way. But, this is what’s happening and what will be the standard in the future. Think first before acting. The base for a good solid pair of blue jeans is the fabric. It all starts with a brand selecting a fabric, after they designed a specific pair of jeans of course. Some denim fabrics are better for a certain design than others. Most of the denim fabrics available are produced with sustainability in mind, and also circularity. As said before, they’re produced keeping in mind how they can be reused when a jeans is totally worn-out, trashed, or simply outdated when it comes to a specific trend. The best of course is to wear timeless and classic styles that aren’t subjected to trends. In the end, everyone has been looking forward to something else. And when that’s the case, it’s perfect when a pair can be transformed into a new fabric for a new design. When an old pair of jeans will be recycled, all the hardware such as trims (buttons, zipper, and rivets) will be removed, and then the jeans go into a shredder. Ready to make a new yarn of it, most of the time blended with fresh cotton. This recycling process gives recycled cotton, also commonly referred to as regenerated cotton. Using this recycling process, water consumption will reduced enormously as growing cotton is one of the most water-consuming crops. Next to this, Better Cotton Initiative, better known as BCI cotton in the industry, is used worldwide. This is a program that aims to produce better for the people who farm it, for the environment, and also for the future of the denim sector. Denim mill Calik Denim, for example, uses Global Recycled Standard certificated pre-consumer and post-consumer recycled cotton for their production. With Calik’s concept Denim’s Re/J, they offer products with 100% recycled cotton. These products have an authentic 1970s look and contribute to a circular economy with both pre-consumer and post-consumer recycled cotton content. Another innovative sustainable approach that Calik Denim is using is the Repreve fiber. The Repreve Recycled Polyester is a high-quality and recycled fiber that is certified and traceable too. It’s made from 100% recycled materials including post-consumer PET bottles and post-industrial fiber waste. For the related articles, Calik Denim uses a special yarn structure that contains this post-consumer recycled fiber blended with cotton. As an additional benefit, this yarn structure creates a micro-climate between the fabric and the human body, offering a thermal comfort to the end consumer. And not to forget, Calik Denim’s latest innovation: B210. This technology is one of a kind and eco-conscious. Thanks to this new technology, fabrics are > 99% biodegradable in 210 days. Especially developed to achieve biodegradability for synthetic fibers which is something unique in the denim industry. In the end, we all need to think of a better tomorrow. A better and greener industry where circularity and sustainability is a standard to make a difference. And to enjoy your pair of blue jeans more than ever!