Mud Jeans and the Dutch Saxion University of Applied Sciences have jointly produced circular jeans that are unique in their creation process. In production, mechanically recycled fibers are mixed with chemically recycled fibers for the first time, Mud Jeans announced on Tuesday. The jeans are made from 100 percent recycled materials.
Processing recycled yarns into fabric is technically very demanding. Mixing mechanically and chemically recycled fibers also requires a lot of development work – Mud Jeans and Saxion worked on the project for over two years. According to Mud Jeans, the process developed during this process results in 93 percent less water and 74 percent fewer CO2 emissions than in the manufacturing process of conventional jeans.
Post-consumer recycling is key to circularity
Previously, Mud Jeans produced pants that had a maximum of 40 percent PCR denim – denim obtained through post-consumer recycling. The remaining fabric compositions consisted of organic cotton. In the jeans that have now been developed, the percentage of PCR denim is 100 percent.
“We are very proud to have realized the first truly circular jeans in the world,” says Dion Vijgeboom, co-owner of Mud Jeans. “With this we want to show that a world without waste – thanks to a circular economy – is really possible and achievable” .
With the jeans, Mud Jeans and Saxion point out the problem of textile waste, which has a significant environmental impact. In the Netherlands, more than 135,000 tons are disposed of every year – but only one percent of this is reused in high quality. By using PCR denim as standard, the amount of textile waste can be reduced. “With our small team, we did everything we could to get the sector moving and enable this change. It’s amazing that it’s come to this now, but real innovation should come from the big boys,” says Vijgeboom.
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