How Denim Industry Competitors Got Together to Measure and Reduce Indigo Dyeing Water Use

The genesis of this initiative lay in a frustration that had been building for years within industry circles. Andrew Olah, founder of Transformers Foundation and owner of the Kingpins Show, had witnessed countless mills making bold claims about water savings without substantiation. "As owner of the Kingpins Show, I was always surprised that mills could claim anything about water savings without explaining their claims with facts or how they came to their numbers," Olah reflects. "It was also surprising customers believed anything stated. In sub-context no buyers were clear about the differences between slasher and rope dyeing."

This lack of standardisation created a situation where mills could promote water reduction claims without providing the baseline measurements or methodological details that would make such assertions verifiable. For buyers navigating supplier relationships, this made it nearly impossible to distinguish genuine innovation from marketing hyperbole. The absence of industry-wide benchmarks meant that environmental progress claims existed in a vacuum, with no shared reference points to validate or challenge stated improvements.

The decision to tackle this challenge through joint research rather than individual initiatives marked a significant departure from industry norms. Olah's vision was singular in focus: "This report was a single bullet aimed at one issue. There was no intention to look at more subjects. However, Transformers can and will look at other subjects in the future, one at a time." This approach reflected a decision to focus on one issue at a time, as Olah explains.

The study also demonstrated that mills could share operational details for a collective goal. The joint process challenged assumptions about mills' willingness to share proprietary information for collective benefit. The initiative demonstrated that when faced with a common challenge—establishing credible environmental metrics—competitors could find common ground. This collaborative foundation would prove essential as the project moved from concept to implementation, requiring a level of openness unusual for participating facilities.

For participating mills, the decision to join this initiative represented a significant commitment that extended beyond simple data sharing. At Naveena Denim, the company played a lead role in supporting the study. The methodology required substantial adjustments to standard operating procedures. The study required participating mills to eliminate auxiliary chemicals like caustic soda, fixation agents, and oxidation boosters to create comparable conditions across different facilities and dyeing systems. As Executive Director Rashid Iqbal explains: "Since this was the first step toward fact-finding on water consumption, the Transformers Foundation decided to set a single benchmark for all participating mills, and we followed that benchmark."

The collaborative framework challenged traditional industry hierarchies and competitive instincts in ways that surprised even the participants. Rather than the guarded, secretive environment typically associated with mill operations, the project fostered open dialogue about processes, challenges, and outcomes. "I think you touch on the key element of what Transformers has created because in the report production, mills were not private or acting in secrecy," Olah observes. "Quite the contrary. Everyone shared their info, and we were all on calls at once discussing outcomes."

This openness extended beyond mere compliance with study requirements. Mills found themselves engaging in substantive discussions about operational details that would typically be closely guarded trade secrets. The collaborative environment created space for peer learning, where facilities could compare approaches and identify improvement opportunities. For participating companies, this represented a calculated shift from viewing competitors as threats to recognising them as potential collaborators in addressing shared industry challenges.

For Naveena, participating in the study represented strategic positioning that aligned with broader corporate values around transparency and accountability. "We saw it as an opportunity, not a risk. Our goal was to share production data to support a meaningful comparative study and uphold our commitment to transparency," Iqbal notes. This philosophy reflected a growing recognition among forward-thinking mills that environmental credibility increasingly required third-party validation and industry-wide benchmarking rather than isolated claims.

The study's findings revealed significant variations in water consumption between rope and slasher dyeing methods, but more importantly, demonstrated that reductions in water use were possible. The research identified specific areas where operational improvements could yield substantial environmental benefits while maintaining production quality and efficiency. One key recommendation emerged around pre-reduced indigo (PRI) as a more sustainable option, representing a shift that required mills to reconsider established dyeing protocols and chemical systems.

"Supporting this study, both financially and intellectually, was a strategic decision rooted in our belief that real change starts with transparency," says Iqbal. "We knew the findings could raise tough questions including about our own practices but that's exactly why we got involved." This showed a willingness to be transparent, even when the findings could raise difficult questions.

For Naveena, the PRI recommendation aligned with operational changes already under way within their facilities. The company had recognised the multiple benefits of this approach beyond environmental impact. "Yes, we are using 100% PRI due to consistent shades within and between the lots due to precise feeding, longer runs, safer to the workers, etc," Iqbal notes. "All these advantages make PRI a sustainable and economical solution." This experience illustrated how environmental measures could also support operational goals.

The report's impact extended beyond technical recommendations to reshape how participants viewed their role in industry transformation. Rather than treating sustainability as a competitive differentiator to be protected, mills began recognising the value of collective progress in establishing credible industry standards. "Yes, we see this study as a blueprint for operational reform," Iqbal emphasises. "It plays a vital role in raising awareness across mills, encouraging the industry to move beyond surface-level compliance and toward meaningful, lasting improvements in water consumption."

Olah views the initiative's impact broadly, focusing on its potential to catalyse further collaborative research across different aspects of textile production. "Success is that we've open a door for future group discussions and assessments," he explains. "Now there is a report available to one and all to look at and compare. This report was done with mills from all over the world, China, Pakistan, Italy etc. The report stands on its own merits but more excitingly it sets a bar for future reports on various other components in the production process." This joint model provided evidence that commercial competitors could work together when addressing shared environmental challenges in the industry.