Growing awareness about environment is pushing many American denim makers to adopt green technologies for conservation. For example, denim maker Tortoise jeans, which debuted its men’s line in Fall 2013 and is readying the women’s holiday/resort '14 collection featuring unique shades, rinses and washes, follows the Eco Prk wash facilities. The product is made in such a way that reduces the waste of water, energy and use of toxic chemicals.
Tortoise is one of the few names that are experimenting with new environmentally friendly processes of manufacturing apparels. They range from boutique lines such as Tortoise to Levi Strauss & Co. The company wishes that leading brands such as Levi's will eventually influence the entire market to work with more environmentally friendly production methods. In 2012, Levi's introduced the denim line ‘Water < Less’, which cuts the use of water in its production processes. The khaki line Dockers Wellthread collection is experimenting with making socially and environmentally sustainable apparel from a pilot site in Bangladesh.
Eichmann’s denim production follows Eco Prk wash facilities like Wiser Wash production practices. Also building a more ecologically sustainable production are the ozone machines made by Greentech. Greentech’s patent is pending for its ozone machinery. The ozone re-creates and improves washes that have traditionally been produced by acid washing, stone washing and potassium sprays.
Dotan Shoham’s Los Angeles–based Pacific Blue dye house manufactures the Gypsy05 clothing line. Gypsy05 does not use chemicals deemed harmful, and is also working with solar energy to heat water tanks and dryers to cut gas and electricity use. Swedish brand Nudie Jeans focuses on making eco-friendly clothes. To ensure that Nudie's products meet high standards, they are confirmed as organic by Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS). Nudie also runs inspections of its subcontractors to ensure that workers are treated well. It also recommends consumers not to throw away their jeans but get it repaired at Nudie shops or recycle them into new items such as denim rugs, which Nudie makes.
