Adidas leads sustainability initiative in fashion sector in cutting water and carbon footprint

Sportwear giant Adidas has partnered with several entities to reduce the environmental impact of materials processing, one of the most resource-intensive stages of the fashion supply chain.

The entities in the sustainability initiative for the fashion sector include luxury fashion brand Kering, US clothing giant PVH Corp, Indian textile manufacturer Arvind Limited and Welspun India have partnered with the Fashion for Good.

The eight innovations to be trialed under the D(R)YE Factory of the Future scheme could reduce emissions by up to 89 percent and cut water consumption between 83 percent and 95 percent

The scheme will initially focus on trialing dry processing technologies that can reduce the environmental impact of pre-treatment and coloration of cotton, polyester, blends, wool, and denim.

Other technologies include spray dyeing, foam dyeing, plasma and laser treatments, and supercritical CO2.

Pre-treatment, coloration, and finishing of textiles are chemicals-intensive processes that release large amounts of toxins into the water.

It is responsible for 52 percent of emissions in the fashion supply chain, according to Fashion For Good.

Other innovators picked to take part — Alchemie Technologies, Deven Supercriticals, eCO2Dye, GRINP, Indigo Mill Designs, imogo, MTIX and Stony Creek Colors — are expected to collaborate with each other and work closely with the scheme's partners.