Calik Denim is tracing its steps toward a circular economy.
The Turkish denim mill debuted a waterless denim dyeing process equipped with The Movement’s Aware traceability solution. The innovation combines Calik’s Dyepro technology—which uses no water and produces zero chemical waste during the dyeing process—with Aware’s supply chain tracking solution for verified, sustainable denim fabric.
Aware’s tracer particles are added to fiber in pre-production and then woven into fabric. Its technology creates a digital twin version of the recycled yarn that is registered into a secure blockchain to be completely fraud-free. Each garment with a tracer receives a unique fingerprint, which can be scanned for authentication, meaning a simple scan can distinguish false material from authentic Dyepro waterless dyed fabric.
“We have worked closely with Calik Denim to make this unique collaboration happen,” said Feico van der Veen, founder and managing director of The Movement. “We experienced the dedication of the Calik team to create honest and real sustainable solutions. Therefore, we are privileged to add our Aware traceability technology to their true sustainable innovations.”
Calik first announced its partnership with the Dutch company earlier this year to trace its recycled cotton and recycled polyester. During the first phase, Calik Denim will continue with its focus on recycled cotton and recycled polyester, with plans to apply the technology to other kinds of sustainable materials in the future.
The partnership nods to its aggressive 2025 targets that include boosting raw material procurement, reducing its carbon footprint and ensuring that all of its indigo-dyed products utilize its Dyepro technology.
It demonstrated its heavy emphasis on traceability in June when it launched a QR Code Integrated System providing detailed insight into each fabric’s origin. The innovation allows clients to scan a code on a hangtag that reveals information on its life cycle assessment (LCA) scores and environmental impact across eight different dimensions—beating what the company says is an industry average of five. One month later, it joined the Ellen MacArthur Jeans Redesign project that sets out to scale circularity in denim design.
