Calik is doubling down on its circularity goals as the newest addition to the Ellen MacArthur Jeans Redesign project.
Launched in 2019, the initiative set out to scale circularity in denim design by setting universal guidelines surrounding durability, material health, recyclability and traceability. Requirements were developed in partnership with representatives from various points in the denim supply chain, including brands, manufacturers, mills, recyclers and academics. After two years, it has garnered support from 94 leading denim organizations, and facilitated the development of more than half a million pairs of circular jeans.
Already a champion of circularity, the Turkish denim mill announced that the decision to join the initiative will help drive new innovations from within.
“At Calik Denim, we have embedded sustainability in our business model within the scope of our ‘Passion for Denim, Passion for Life’ sustainability strategy, and we have been realizing our projects with this vision for many years,” said Tolga Ozkurt, Calik’s deputy general manager of sales and marketing, adding that the company’s ethos naturally aligns with those of the Jeans Redesign project.
Calik Denim’s “Passion for Denim, Passion for Life” strategy addresses three main pillars, including spearheading innovative products, creating a positive impact for stakeholders, and reducing its impact on the environment—all of which are achieved through joining the Jeans Redesign initiative.
The mill stated that some of the fabrics within its D’enovated concept, a line of rigid and comfort stretch denim that debuted in 2016, already fall in line with the project’s guidelines, which require jeans to be made with a minimum of 98 percent cellulose fibers by weight and include materials that are easy to disassemble.
Last month, requirements were updated to also stipulate that jeans feature a minimum of 5 percent recycled content—an update that bodes well for Calik, as the mill recently debuted a concept that goes well beyond the new minimum. RE/J is its 100 percent recycled concept that provides authentic vintage denim looks with varying elasticities by using recycled fibers such as EcoMade Lycra and Repreve PES. The concept uses an open-end spinning process and utilizes Calik’s Dyepro technology, which uses no water and produces zero chemical waste during the dyeing process.
The company stated it’s continuing to look for ways to enhance its circular offerings through partnerships, adding that “no one organization can overcome these barriers alone.”
