AG Jeans is launching a collection of biodegradable jeans called “The Jean of Tomorrow. Its fabric is made from a fully biodegradable blend of organic cotton, Tencel™ and hemp. The latter is being adopted by AG and other denim brands as a replacement for virgin cotton, while Tencel™ is what gives it its softer finish. AG buys its fabric from a mill near its factory in Mexico to reduce the environmental footprint of its transport. Although it has sustainability advantages, hemp can be rough if it isn’t blended with other fibers. The industry is looking for ways to treat it to provide the comfort consumers need. A New Trend for the Denim Industry? Biodegradable fabrics are catching on in the denim sector because they help solve the waste problem. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 11.3 million tonnes of textiles were dumped in US landfills in 2018 alone. It is therefore absolutely necessary to solve this problem if we want to help save the planet. President and Creative Director of AG, Samuel Ku, explained: "Large companies have a responsibility to adopt sustainable processes in their manufacturing. This requires large-scale investments and reducing the costs of sustainability so that it can be adopted by all types of companies. AG strives to improve traditional processes and push the boundaries of what is possible every day. The Jean of Tomorrow is an example of this approach. All garments in this collection are sewn with sustainable Tencel thread. The buttons are made of corozo, a material derived from walnuts that is highly resistant to rubbing and fading. AG has also used other sustainable measures in its production, such as ozone and laser technology in its finishing phase. In addition, the brand makes huge efforts to save energy and recycle used water. It currently recycles almost 400,000 litres of water daily. The collection consists of three pieces: a unisex denim jacket, a men's jean, Tellis, and a women's jean, Alexis.
AG Jeans’ Commitment to Sustainability AG Jeans is a brand that is aware of the strain that the textile industry has on water resources. That’s why the brand launched two state-of-the-art water filtration systems that recycle the wastewater produced from its factories in Los Angeles and Mexico earlier this year. So far, these facilities have saved over 100,000 gallons of water per day. AG is also using other sustainable materials such as lyocell knitwear, which it has used in a collection of 20 garments as a tribute to its 20 years of existence. In the short term, it also hopes to introduce new product categories, establish new partnerships and rethink the social and environmental consequences of its activity.