WATER FOOTPRINTS IN DENIM PRODUCTION

Abstract

The textile sector is one of the sectors with the highest water consumption. Especially in denim production, water consumption is quite high because the raw material is cotton and due to processes, such as dyeing, finishing, and washing. Dyeing and finishing/washing processes are the main causes of wastewater pollution in denim production, and the resulting wastewater contains a large amount of harmful dyestuffs and alkaline chemicals. It is clear that the denim industry has a production that consumes intense water and causes environmental damage. Therefore, today the denim industry seeks sustainable, less water consumption and environmentally friendly denim production processes to overcome these environmental and energy problems. In this study, water consumption, which has a great place in denim production, the concept of water footprint, the types and calculation of water footprints, the existence of water footprints in denim production, the recent developments in denim water management and in denim industry’s efforts toward sustainability were evaluated.

Keywords: Denim, water footprint, sustainability