The global denim washing industry is making steady progress in reducing its environmental footprint, but chemical management continues to be the sector’s most significant sustainability challenge, according to the 2025 Environmental Impact Measurement (EIM) report released on 5 June to mark World Environment Day.
The report, one of the largest assessments of its kind, analyzed 100,280 real denim finishing and washing processes carried out by 359 manufacturers worldwide. The findings provide a detailed snapshot of how the industry is evolving as brands, manufacturers and regulators increasingly push for lower-impact production methods.
According to the report, 66 percent of all assessed processes were classified as low impact, compared with 30 percent categorized as medium impact and just 4 percent rated as high impact. The results indicate that denim laundries are increasingly adopting more efficient technologies, optimized workflows and resource-saving production practices.
Energy efficiency emerged as the industry’s strongest area of progress. Approximately 85 percent of processes achieved low-impact energy ratings, while average energy consumption fell by nearly 7 percent year-on-year to 1.09 kilowatt-hours per garment.
Improved energy management has also contributed to better workplace conditions, with 68 percent of operations receiving low-impact scores for worker health and safety indicators.
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Water management showed more modest progress. While 69 percent of processes achieved low-impact ratings, average water consumption remained close to 30 litres per garment, suggesting that many manufacturers may have already captured the easiest efficiency gains.
Industry experts note that further reductions are likely to depend on broader adoption of advanced water recycling systems, wastewater treatment technologies and modernized production infrastructure.
Recent academic studies continue to highlight water consumption and wastewater generation as key environmental concerns throughout denim manufacturing and finishing operations.
Despite gains in resource efficiency, chemical use remains the industry’s weakest sustainability area. Only 28 percent of assessed processes achieved low chemical-impact scores, while 46 percent were rated medium impact and 27 percent high impact.
The report found that many manufacturers still rely on conventional chemicals and legacy finishing techniques that carry significant environmental and occupational health risks.
Commodity chemicals accounted for 29 percent of products used, while an additional 16 percent consisted of generic formulations that are not fully covered by existing environmental impact databases.
Traditional finishing methods continue to slow sustainability progress. Pumice stone washing, although declining, was still used in 14 percent of processes and automatically generated maximum chemical-impact scores under the EIM system.
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Likewise, potassium permanganate spraying remained present in 15 percent of operations, raising ongoing concerns regarding worker safety and environmental contamination.
These practices have long been identified as some of the most problematic stages of denim finishing due to their chemical intensity and waste generation.
The findings come as the industry increasingly explores alternative technologies such as laser finishing, ozone treatments, nanobubble and e-flow systems, which can significantly reduce water, energy and chemical consumption while delivering comparable aesthetic effects.
Research published during 2025 showed that sustainable denim washing techniques consistently achieve substantially lower EIM scores than conventional methods, demonstrating the environmental benefits of replacing traditional processes with cleaner production technologies.
The report concludes that the denim washing sector has entered a new phase of sustainability transformation. While improvements in energy efficiency and operational optimization are becoming increasingly common, future progress will depend on eliminating hazardous chemicals, accelerating the adoption of innovative finishing technologies and investing in circular water management systems.
Industry stakeholders believe that replacing outdated processing techniques with safer, lower-impact alternatives will be essential if denim manufacturers are to meet growing sustainability expectations from global brands, consumers and regulators.
