Naveena’s ‘Blueprint 2030’ Strategy Puts Premium on Recycled, Regenerative Materials
Naveena Denim Mills‘ new sustainability strategy redefines the lifecycle of fibers, with the goal of transforming its production waste into a valuable commodity.
The Karachi, Pakistan-based mill’s Blueprint 2030 is based on U.N. Global Compact principles and Global Sustainable Development Goals. The denim producer is focused on mitigating climate change and energy consumption, as well as promoting water stewardship and chemical and waste management. In collaboration with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), Naveena said it aims to zero out its carbon emissions by 2050.
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Using consciously sourced raw materials and working closely with Higg FEM, chemical products database ZDHC Gateway, and BeeHive, the company aims to pave a path to circularity. Naveena said it plans to incorporate 20 percent recycled post-industrial waste into all of its denim products by 2025. The company’s recycling plant is currently capable of shredding five tons daily of both post-consumer and post-industrial denim waste and processing this into new fibers. Any leftover denim scraps will be donated to Trio, a social enterprise that gives underserved women a feedstock for handmade artisan goods to sell.
Naveena has added recycled and organic fibers including organic cotton BCI, hemp, Tencel, premium stretch fiber Roica, biodegradable synthetic CiClo, and modal to its material portfolio. It has engaged with global regenerative agriculture group Regenagri to develop biodynamic sourcing for raw materials like cotton and foster a more traceable supply chain.
To process raw materials into denim, Naveena continues to work with Jeanologia’s Smart Lab, chemical and dyestuff providers like Archroma and Dystar, and fiber innovators including Lenzing and the Lycra Company. This focus on materials supports a sustainability strategy informed by WWF Pakistan, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the International Finance Corporation, PBC, and U.N. Global Compact.
“Over the past years, we’ve seen incredible progress in our sustainability efforts,” Naveena director Anam Tata said. The company now hopes to accelerate progress through a centralized sustainability department, “to better streamline our efforts and embrace sustainability as an intrinsic part of our strategy.”
Naveena is also using AI and digitized processes to streamline manufacturing efficiency. It is using real-time data from production machines using a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system to monitor and manage equipment that it relies on for critical, time-sensitive processes. The analytics also help to monitor the steam, water and chemicals being consumed in real time, and help cut that consumption.
The 50 megawatt Lakeside Wind Energy Project that Naveena launched in April 2022 will eventually provide renewable power for more than 250,000 households nationwide, with wind turbines dotting 345 acres, according to the company. Complementing that effort are solar energy systems currently generating 7.5 megawatts of clean energy to power Naveena’s facilities.
“We see sustainability efforts as part of an interconnected system, where our actions help address ecological harmony, equitable progress and transparent innovation,” Tata added. “These actions impact and reinforce one another to create change that is good for all, and they are the pillars of our new sustainability strategy.”
