Less than a year after attaining a Cradle to Cradle Gold certification for its HempX material, vertical denim manufacturer AGI Denim is adding another seal of approval to its roster: Its Double Zero technology is now approved by SGS, a Swiss third-party certification company.
AGI debuted the technology in 2020 as a way to reduce the amount of water needed for both the dyeing and finishing processes. Double Zero recovers or evaporates all of the water left over at the end of dyeing and processing, eliminating the potential for any harmful substances or effluents to be leeched into the environment. Recovered water is recycled for processing, further reducing the producer’s water footprint. Denim that’s dyed and finished in this way also has the added benefit of responding well to sustainable lasers.
The Pakistan-based manufacturer said in an Instagram post that its customers can now “enjoy complete transparency,” as the certification ensures minimum use of water and zero discharge of waste water in both the dyeing and finishing processes.
AGI said the innovation was inspired by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a collection of 17 global goals designed to be a rubric for achieving a more sustainable future. Specifically, the technology aligns with SDG 6, clean water and sanitation, and SDG 14, life below water. The company reports that its Double Zero technology leads to an 83.3 percent water savings, meaning there is “more [water] available for the communities around us” and life below water is protected through its elimination of waste water discharge.
In early 2021, AGI reported that it was recycling 300,000 gallons of water daily, and planned to increase that number by 1 million in 2022 with the introduction of a new effluent treatment plant. The company has invested in several wastewater treatment and recycling plants that meet the British Standard Guidelines and European Standard Guidelines for releasing wastewater into the sea.
In line with its zero-waste philosophy, the company opened the first LEED-certified spinning unit in Pakistan in November. Equipped with an automated shredding unit that converts post-consumer waste into a recycled fiber, the facility will produce about 132,000 pounds of yarn daily.
