Wrangler to announce new water conservation goal

In honour of the 50^th anniversary of Earth Day, Wrangler, a global icon in jeanswear and casual apparel, announced that its manufacturing has saved over 7 billion litres of water in the production of denim products, equivalent to the daily drinking water needs of almost 4 billion people, surpassing its 2020 global year-end goal to save 5.5 billion litres.

As a result, Wrangler plans to announce a new, more ambitious water conservation goal later this year.

“From the cotton field to the finishing process, water is essential to creating your favourite pair of Wrangler jeans, and it’s also essential to local communities and future generations,” said Tom Waldron, EVP, global brand president - Wrangler. “We’re incredibly proud of reducing our ecological footprint through water efficiency and recycling, and are committed to continued conservation throughout our supply chain, while also prioritising product innovation that finds new ways to use water responsibly and return it back clean to the communities who depend on it.”

Wrangler manufacturing achieved the water savings by increasing both water efficiency and water recycling in the denim finishing process since 2008. The brand’s manufacturing facility in Torreon, Mexico regularly recycles up to 85 per cent of the water through sequential batch reactors, micro-filtration and reverse osmosis. At the brand’s other manufacturing campuses, efficiencies such as merging or removing finishing steps and enhanced enzyme technologies were able to reduce water use without compromising quality.

“We were able to surpass our water conservation goal due to the dedication and ingenuity of the teams that power our manufacturing facilities,” said Roian Atwood, senior director of global sustainable business, Wrangler. “As we look to the future of water conservation at Wrangler, our approach will expand beyond internal manufacturing to push our production partners to further prioritise water savings and treatment. We encourage others to join us to continue to propel the apparel industry towards a more sustainable and responsible future.”

"Wrangler is committed to conserving water in each stage in its supply chain, from cotton production to consumer use. In 2019, Wrangler became the first brand to offer denim dyed with foam instead of water baths; the foam-dye process uses 100 per cent less water than conventionally-dyed denim," the company said in a press release.

In addition to conserving water, the brand has high water quality standards to ensure the water returning to the local communities is cleaner than when it was taken for use. All owned and operated facilities and Wrangler suppliers are required to adhere to these strict standards, the release added.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RKS)