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Going Circular / Denim Deal

Denim Deal Study Shows Share of 20% PCR-Cotton in Jeans is Growing

The Denim Deal Monitor 2022 says there is a positive development in the increase in application of post-consumer recycled cotton in denim garments and jeans, with 7 of the 8 participating brands and retailers aiming for higher targets than the 5%-PCR-content in the coming years.

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30 June 2023

 4 minutes
Long Story, Cut Short
  • The objectives of the Denim Deal focus on the increase of the use of post-consumer recycled cotton.
  • Most brands and retailers (5 of 8) have set their own, more ambitious goals for PCR content in denim garments than the aimed new industry standard of 5%.
  • There’s a lack of understanding among designers about using PCR-cotton. More cooperation & knowledge sharing regarding design & quality requirements between manufacturers of textiles & brands is required.
On 1 January 2023, in total 49 signatories, including eight brands and retailers, were committed to the Denim Deal with the aim to close the denim loop by promoting the use of high-grade post-consumer recycled cotton fibres (PCR-cotton) in new jeans and other denim garments.
Closing the Loop On 1 January 2023, in total 49 signatories, including eight brands and retailers, were committed to the Denim Deal with the aim to close the denim loop by promoting the use of high-grade post-consumer recycled cotton fibres (PCR-cotton) in new jeans and other denim garments. Dylan Sauerwein / Unsplash

The just published Denim Deal Monitor 2022 has identified five interdepending challenges hampering transition towards an industrial scale up of post-consumer cotton recycling industry.

  • Suggesting a way forward it presumes that the challenges could perhaps be met by creating more demand for recycled fabrics, and creating more supply of post-consumer recyled-cotton (PCR-cotton) feedstock.

THE DENIM DEAL: The Monitor Denim Deal—Results quantitative and qualitative monitoring 2022 gives a general summary of the results and challenges during 2022 based on the outcome of the quantitative monitoring of all participating brands and retailers and the qualitative monitoring done by 65% response of all signatories of the Denim Deal. 

  • The Denim Deal was sent along with a policy letter on circular textiles 2023 to the Dutch Parliament was worked on by Sourcing & supply chain strategist, Nicolas Prophte; Director of Strategy & Business Development at Bossa, Besim Ozek; a Responsible Production Partner in Turkey, Romain Narcy; Consultant at IPR Normag Marten Boels, a minister in the Dutch government on circularity, Miriam van de Kamp; CEO Cibutex Jan Lamme, Senior Manager at Ffact Consultants, Marijn van der Maesen; Senior advisor at Rijkswaterstaat, Emile Bruls; and circular textiles expert Roosmarie Ruigrok.

All signatories of the Denim Deal promise to undertake activities to achieve the following specific goals before the end of the Denim Deal in December 2023 

  1. Brands and retailers will achieve a minimum of 5% post-consumer recycled cotton (PCR-cotton) in their own denim collections during this period by working together closely with other signatories. 
  2. Brands and retailers will achieve their own, individual and higher goals for PCR-cotton in denim garments, and will set out their ambitions and approach in individual roadmaps, based on the close collaboration with other signatories. 
  3. Brands and retailers will commit to individual ambitions designed to achieve the specific, joint goal of using 20% PCR-cotton fibres in 3 million pairs of jeans produced by these parties until the end of 2023.

THE CHALLENGES: The qualitative monitoring shows two main challenges: 

  1. More demand for recycled fabrics by brands; 
  2. More supply of feedstock to recyclers to produce PCR-cotton.

Besides these two main challenges, there are three other related challenges: 

  1. Design for easier recycling; 
  2. Knowledge sharing regarding material specification of PCR feedstock and innovation in recycling technology; 
  3. More awareness among consumers. 

All of the challenges of the industrial scale up are strongly interdependent. 

  • More awareness among consumers will have a pull on demand from brands for PCR cotton; this will accelerate investments in innovation for recycling technologies and capacity; feedstock from sorting will become more valuable and the business case for sorted material will improve.
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It was on 29 October 2020, that 28 parties signed the Dutch C-233 Green Deal on Circular Denim (Denim Deal). Signatories in the value chain, from producers, brands, retailers to collectors, recyclers and public authorities, have jointly developed an approach to take major steps towards using recycled textile in all denim products marketed in the Netherlands.
Dutch C-233 Green Deal on Circular Denim It was on 29 October 2020, that 28 parties signed the Dutch C-233 Green Deal on Circular Denim (Denim Deal). Signatories in the value chain, from producers, brands, retailers to collectors, recyclers and public authorities, have jointly developed an approach to take major steps towards using recycled textile in all denim products marketed in the Netherlands. Abhidev Vaishnav / Unsplash

THE FINDINGS:  The study discovered:

  • There is a clear positive development in the increase in application of PCR-cotton in denim garments and jeans. Most participating brands and retailers are aiming for higher targets than the 5%-PCR-content in the coming years. 
  • The participating brands and retailers have put in total 1.5 million jeans on the Dutch market in 2022. 
  • Share of 20% PCR-cotton in jeans is growing. From the volume put on the Dutch market by participants 593,688 jeans (41%) contained at least 20% PCR-cotton. This is a relatively small part of the amount of jeans put on the Dutch market annually. The volume of jeans put on the Dutch market with 20% PCR increased from 8% in 2020 to 41% in 2022. 
    The results of the measurement show for 2022 that 53% of the volume of jeans produced worldwide by participants contains at least 20% PCR-cotton. This is a substantial growth compared to 2020. 
    In 2020, 13% of the volume produced by participants contained 20% PCR. 
  • On the global market the number of 3 million 20% PCR jeans was already reached in 2021 and had now more than doubled this amount. However, it will be still a challenge to reach 3 million 20% PCR jeans on the Dutch market only. 
  • To achieve such amount during 2021–23 would imply that nearly all jeans of the participating brands should contain 20% PCR-cotton.
  • The results of measurement show for 2022 that 41% of the volume of denim put on the Dutch market by participants contains at least 5% PCR-cotton. 
  • In comparison with 2020 (8%), this is a substantial growth. And the volume of denim garments produced by the participants worldwide containing at least 5% PCR-cotton has increased from 42% in 2021 to 53% in 2022. 
  • Most participating brands and retailers expect to achieve 5% PCR in their own denim garments in 2023, by working closely with other signatories. 
  • Most brands and retailers (5 of 8) have set their own, more ambitious goals for PCR content in denim garments than the aimed new industry standard of 5%. Their individual goals vary up from 10% up to 40% by the end of 2024. However, the individual targets given this year are much lower and more realistic than in the previous monitoring.
  • In 2023, seven of eight brands and retailers participated in the 2022 quantitative measurement. 
In 2023, seven of eight brands and retailers participated in the 2022 quantitative measurement with (5 of 8) most having set their own, more ambitious goals for PCR content in denim garments than the aimed new industry standard of 5%. Their individual goals vary up from 10% up to 40% by the end of 2024. However, the individual targets given this year are much lower and more realistic than in the previous monitoring.
Ambitious goals In 2023, seven of eight brands and retailers participated in the 2022 quantitative measurement with (5 of 8) most having set their own, more ambitious goals for PCR content in denim garments than the aimed new industry standard of 5%. Their individual goals vary up from 10% up to 40% by the end of 2024. However, the individual targets given this year are much lower and more realistic than in the previous monitoring. Julian Hanslmaier / Unsplash

THE BACKDROP: It was on 29 October 2020, that 28 parties signed the Dutch C-233 Green Deal on Circular Denim (‘Denim Deal’). 

  • Signatories in the value chain, from producers, brands, retailers to collectors, recyclers and public authorities, have jointly developed an approach to take major steps towards using recycled textile in all denim products marketed in the Netherlands. 
  • On 1 January 2023, in total 49 signatories, including eight brands and retailers, were committed to the Denim Deal. 
  • The signatories of the Denim Deal aim to close the denim loop by promoting the use of high-grade post-consumer recycled cotton fibres (‘PCR-cotton’) in new jeans and other denim garments. 
  • They committed themselves to the joint ambition of working as quickly as possible towards a new industry standard of 5% PCR-cotton used in the production of all denim garments and will raise the bar in the future based on the learnings of the Denim Deal. 
  • They will monitor annually the activities they have undertaken to this end, the results achieved, and their effect and challenges towards achieving the goals of the Denim Deal.
 
 
  • Dated posted: 30 June 2023
  • Last modified: 30 June 2023
 
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