In a first fully circular experiment, Italian denim manufacturer Candiani has developed a plant-based stretch yarn made from natural rubber to replace petroleum-based synthetic yarns. Representatives from brands including Redone, Everlane, J Crew, Citizens of Humanity and Taylor Perez viewed the experiment on site as part of the Road to Denim project.
In the seven-week experiment, the new Coreva twine was used to fertilize the soil and grow regenerative blue-seed cotton. Blue Seed is Candiani’s exclusive non-GMO hybrid cotton variety. It was developed to have a stronger fibre, but also to be more resilient in the field and use less water and chemicals.
For the experiment, Candiani partnered with California’s Rodale Institute, the leading research center in organic and regenerative agriculture. The company wanted to prove that its Coreva technology could have a positive impact on the environment and be used to grow renewable cotton.
The result showed that the presence of Coreva in the soil increased the moisture content of the soil from the first to the seventh week. After the seventh week, this effect decreased, which is probably due to the decomposition of the material. No effects on crop growth were noted, but this is likely due to cotton having a long growth cycle and seven weeks is not enough. Further tests are therefore necessary.
The positive result shows that Candiani’s vision of combining industrial denim production with regenerative agriculture is possible. This means that when a pair of jeans has reached the end of its life, it can go back to nature to grow the raw materials for a new pair of jeans.
“In a world where resources are dwindling and landfills are overflowing with discarded clothing, we must look to renewable resources in addition to biodegradable and compostable materials,” said Alberto Candiani, the company’s president and owner, in a press release.
“Denim needs to lead this revolution and we’re excited to be working with Denham the Jeanmaker and Stella McCartney, as well as brands like Huit, Kings of Indigo, Closed and Heron Preston, to share our innovation with the entire fashion industry,” adds Candiani added.