Isko, a Turkish denim manufacturer, is the latest company to sign the Dutch Denim Deal, which aims to help the denim industry become more circular.

Following the EU Green Deal and the Circular Action Plan, the Dutch government created the Denim Deal, a public-private project that involves agreements to make the denim textile chain more circular.

More than 40 partners, including Scotch & Soda, PVH, and Soorty, have joined forces to improve post-consumer textiles in the denim sector and make fiber recycling the new standard. The signatories include a diverse group of manufacturers, retailers, collectors, sorters, cutters, and weavers.

The Denim Deal's major goal is to make 3 million pairs of jeans with (a minimum of 20%) post-consumer recycled cotton (PCR) by the end of 2023. In addition, all parties have promised to work together as rapidly as possible to achieve a standard of at least 5% recycled textiles in all denim items.

The Denim Deal also provides an opportunity to develop a "reverse supply chain" for recovered cotton, as well as a structural reform to end the denim cycle.

Although the denim sector still has a bad reputation due to its huge carbon footprint, many positive efforts have been achieved in the realm of recycling in recent years. These actions, however, are on a modest scale, reducing the overall impact.

Marc Lensen, Isko's head of global communication, said that The Dutch Denim Deal fits nicely within Isko's circular approach. Their size and understanding of sustainable technical solutions will improve their total influence and speed up the denim chain's circularity.

The difficulty of effectively separating worn fabrics necessitates a great deal of expertise and research, which Isko claims it can give.