Bluesign Expands Denim Initiative With European and Asian Partners

Alexandra Harrell
·2 min read

Bluesign is expanding its denim initiative.

Last March, the Swiss material verification firm introduced “Bluesign Denim: A Sustainable and Responsible Choice,” an program to encourage mills, textile manufacturers and laundries to adopt ethical and eco-friendly practices.

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And now, the champion of sustainable manufacturing has extended its reach globally.

“We’ve got new system partners in Europe and we’ve got partners in Asia as well; we’re working on expanding that network as well on an ongoing basis,” Kutay Saritosun, Bluesign’s director of brand services and partnerships in the EU and U.S., told Rivet. “In building this network, I’m grateful that we’re having this conversation because it’s also about educating the industry about what this initiative is and how important partnerships are.”

North American denim partners include Madewell, Reformation and Everlane. In Europe, Bluesign collaborates with manufacturers Pure Denim and Isko and chemical suppliers, including Officina 39, Rudolf, Zaitex, Soko Chimica, Dystar, Archroma, and CHT, along with European laundry partner Sanko Tekstil Isletmeleri-Martelli Branch.

Isko launched Bluesign-approved fabrics in 2021 as the only mill in Europe at the time. Last year, Isko’s Ctrl+Z fabric innovations received the Bluesign-approved label, as the Ctrl+Z fabrics are made from a pure blend of recycled cotton and recycled polyester with regenerated cellulosic fibers, made recyclable for a fully circular approach.

Bluesign has also partnered with Saitex, Advance Denim and Prosperity Textiles in Asia, extending to Anubha Industries in India.

“We’ve got some wonderful system partners but honestly, in order to make this work, it’s a network—it’s an effort of mills, laundries and brands working together to make this happen,” Saritosun said. “Our goal here is to expand that network so that then the brands have a lot of other choices, a lot more mill choices, laundry choices.”

Bluesign is launching a talk series to commemorate this global expansion, beginning at Kingpins Amsterdam next week. These events aim to showcase the firm’s foundational partners across several continents as well as foster dialogue and collaboration.

The conversation at Kingpins Amsterdam will “dive into the heart of sustainability,” touching on the intricacies of Bluesign’s Product Carbon Footprint and Digital Product Passport initiative alongside compliance strategies for the upcoming EU regulation.

CEO Daniel Rufenacht will discuss how Bluesign has expanded its services and partnerships through the Bluesign Denim Initiative as well as how the company’s “comprehensive approach” to sustainability ensures safety for people and the environment.

“Data is very important; you can collect data, you can report on data—sustainability data, impact data—but what is really important here is verified data,” Saritosun said. “And that’s where we come into the picture here as Bluesign.”