The apparel industry has introduced supply chain initiatives that fall under the circular economy. They will reduce the abundance of waste in the industry.

From packaging to personal care, safer solutions are available. Although these are not all consumer facing products, they all demonstrate a key principle of Green Chemistry. Here are a few examples of either commercial products, or research projects that offer great promise for the future. Performance chemicals for apparel – Replacing fossil fuels. Beyond Surface Technologies (BST), a German […]

Using greenhouse gases and other waste streams to create valuable chemicals can restore the environment. The Green Chemistry and Commerce Council (GC3) is a business-to-business forum that advances the application of green chemistry across supply chains. This year they hosted the tenth Innovators Roundtable. I was particularly impressed with some entrepreneurs who are taking inherently bad chemicals (e.g. […]

Lots of water, energy and chemicals are needed to pretreat, dye and finish our clothes. Levi Strauss and Co. just launched its updated Lifecycle Assessment of a Jean. It takes 3,661 liters of water to produce just one pair of jeans. The denim industry is valued at 60 billion dollars and growing. Whether the trend […]

The textile industry is innovating. Less hazardous dyes, new equipment and novel processes are reducing the water, chemicals and energy in fabric manufacturing. Sarah Bellos, President of Stony Creek Colors and a Natural Resources Management Scientist is working with farmers in Tennessee to help them transition from growing tobacco to growing indigo. Due to a declining demand for […]