Portuguese textile manufacturer Tintex is introducing a water-saving sustainable project called The Blue Lab.
Created in conjunction with NGO Drip by Drip, Blue Lab is aimed at developing alternative textile solutions with the lowest possible water footprint. The mission of Drip by Drip is to Tackle water issues in the fashion and textile industry.
The Blue Lab collection was created in collaboration with a network of participants, including Lenzing providing the fibers, Tearfil supplying the yarn, Tintex providing the fabrics, Blue Ben creating the garments, Montebelo working closely with brands on marketing, and Agroho, a non-profit organization working for marginalized communities in Bangladesh.
Tintex said the connection between fashion consumption and water resources is a key issue and is the premise for the creation of the water-saving fabrics. The collection was developed using Lenzing’s Tencel Lyocell and Modal, hemp, and Roica V550, a sustainable stretch fiber from Asahi Kasei. Tencel and Modal are manufactured using Lenzing’s closed-loop production system. Roica is a Cradle to Cradle Certified Gold Level for Material Health for its lower impact on human and environmental health, while hemp is natural fiber that of late has gained uptake in apparel manufacturing.
Blue Lab enlists several water-efficient innovations that use just 443 to 965 liters of water per kilogram of material compared to the roughly 7,000 to 29,000 liters per kilogram of conventional cotton fabric ranges. That results in water savings of up to 90 percent, starting from the cultivation of the raw materials to the fabric dyeing process and through water recycling.
German brand Blue Ben used the Blue Lab water efficient fabrics by Tintex to create “The Blue Sweater,” a unisex crew-neck, loose-fit style with branding dedicated to Bangladesh, the second largest exporter of garments suffering from severe water crises. Part of the sweater sales will be devoted to reparations and cleanup of the wastewater plants in Bangladesh. Blue Lab fabrics can be purchased directly from the manufacturer and 10 percent of sales go to wastewater projects in Bangladesh.