Vietnam-based denim manufacturer Saitex reported lower electricity and emissions intensity across its apparel and fabric mill operations in its 2025 Impact Report, even as water, wastewater, steam and gas use per garment rose at its apparel facility and a Ralph Lauren-commissioned study found the company’s wages fall below one living-wage benchmark.
The report, published this week, showed Saitex’s fabric mill increased production by 22% while cutting electricity consumption per metre of fabric by 22%, to 3.11 kilowatt-hours from 4.00 kilowatt-hours a year earlier.
Greenhouse gas emissions at the mill fell 20%, water consumption dropped 9% and waste generation declined by around 25%, the company said. Roughly 85% of its denim fabric production now meets chemistry requirements for Cradle to Cradle Certified Material Health Gold and bluesign standards.
At the apparel manufacturing facility, however, resource use per garment increased, driven largely by customer orders for garment-dyed products, vintage washes and heavier fabrics, which require more water and steam. A higher share of Better Cotton in production reflected brand purchasing decisions rather than manufacturing changes, Saitex said.
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Ecotextile News reported that the impact report also disclosed findings from a wage study commissioned by Ralph Lauren, which found that Saitex pay levels sit below one living-wage benchmark, adding a labour dimension to a report otherwise focused on environmental metrics.
Saitex has expanded digital transparency efforts through its Made2Flow platform, which supplies product-level life cycle assessment data to support Digital Product Passports, giving brands visibility into the environmental footprint of fabrics and finished garments.
Plans to invest in solar power and closed-loop water systems were delayed by permitting procedures, infrastructure constraints and limited availability of cost-effective renewable energy storage in Vietnam, the company said.
Saitex also expanded industry outreach in 2025, contributing to the GIZ-backed To the Finish Line initiative, which delivered environmental management training to more than 2,100 participants across 790 manufacturing facilities. The company took part in the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals programme’s Supplier to Zero pilot and published a white paper outlining a “90/10” manufacturing model, under which 90% of production would remain in Vietnam and 10% would shift to the United States.
Under that framework, Saitex estimated that if 100 manufacturers adopted the hybrid model, it could generate 250,000 new U.S. manufacturing jobs, more than $12 billion in annual domestic wages and $21.6 billion in additional U.S. gross domestic product.
Saitex, founded in 2001 and now a vertically integrated manufacturer spanning apparel production, fabric milling, upcycling and repair, said it aims to source 100% renewable electricity for its apparel operations by the end of 2028.
“We don’t believe better ways of working should be guarded,” said Sanjeev Bahl, Saitex’s chief executive. “We believe they should be shared, tested and improved. Our Impact Report is about passing on what we’ve learned, because good ideas are meant to travel.”
The company was named one of 12 “Trust Builders” in Economist Impact’s 2025 report on the business of doing good in Asia, recognising its technology-driven approach to supply chain transparency.