The global citizen we will introduce in this post is James Bartle from Australia. He is the founder and CEO of Outland Denim, an environment-friendly and socially conscious denim company.
One Pair of Jeans = 5,000 of 2-liter water bottles
Jeans and denim are favorite fashion items for people of all ages. But did you ever consider the fact that it requires 10,000 liters of water to produce one pair of jeans?
Surprisingly, it equals the average amount of water that a family of four would use in a week. Why does it take so much water to make one pair of jeans?
We can find the answer by looking at its manufacturing process. First, the main ingredient for denim is cotton. And the amount of water that goes into producing enough cotton for one pair of jeans is 7,000 liters!
Additional water is used in the manufacturing process. Multiple cycles of washing involved in the dyeing process consumes a huge amount of water, and the water discharged with chemical dyes as wastewater causes environmental problems.
Water Footprint to induce sustainable use of water
A measurement called a water footprint is used to measure the amount of water used during the entire life cycle of a product, from production and manufacturing to consumption and disposal.
The European Commission has initiated the Product Environment Footprint (PEF) to help reduce the environmental impacts of goods and services. It measures the environmental performance of any product throughout its Life Cycle, and the consumer can choose products with a smaller water footprint.
Learn more ways to reduce water footprint Simple Ways to Reduce our Water Footprint! – Sunhak Peace Blog
Let’s Meet James Bartle!
James Bartle founded Outland Denim to provide stable employment and economic opportunity to women survivors of human trafficking. He accepted employees from varying backgrounds of vulnerability to help them out of poverty by providing them skills training, decent wages, and housing.
While his solutions for women’s rights were innovative, he ran into another issue: the environment. The jeans production process consumed a huge amount of water and caused environmental problems, including microplastics and water pollution.
Bartle’s Methods to Reduce Water Footprint
Denim is usually made with a mix of chemical fibers depending on the design. But chemical fibers are difficult to recycle and are toxic to the environment. To combat this, Bartle switched to using natural fibers whenever possible. And where natural fibers were not possible, he prioritized performance to make the jeans last longer.
Taking a step further, Bartle implemented new technologies to reduce water footprint of his products. The regular dyeing method consumes a lot of water. In order to reduce water usage, Outland Denim uses the laser production, which removes the need for water-intensive washing.
And the use of ozone oxidizer, which has a very short cleaning process, to replace traditional techniques of using toxic bleach to age jeans is another way to decrease impact on the environment.
Outland Denim, a Sustainably Minded and Socially Conscious Brand
Bartle quickly adopted innovative technologies and provided free education and training to employees. As a result, Outland Denim grew as a green company. In 2018, it was certified by B Corp, the world’s leading ESG certification given to for-profit companies. Then in 2022, it scored 160 points, which was double the 80-point threshold for certification.
Outland Denim continues to grow while reducing its water footprint. And Jame Bartle’s commitment for ecological sustainability and human rights is an inspiration to many global citizens.
References: YarnsandFibers.com / B Corporation Certified
“Our desire is to show others that it can be done… that you can benefit both people and planet. I don’t believe you can stand for one without the other.”
-James Bartle-