Devan, a specialty chemicals firm headquartered in Belgium, joined up with the Spanish finishing manufacturing company to make BI-OME antimicrobial and R-Vital skincare ranges more sustainable during their application phase.

R-Vital technology improves fabrics with microencapsulated active ingredients that can be absorbed by wearers' skin, while BI-OME technology offers odor protection and antimicrobial properties for a range of textiles.

Using Jeanologia's e-Flow technology, which utilizes micronization and nebulization to bypass conventional abrasion methods to provide output chemistry using nano-bubbles instead of water—meaning it substitutes water with air to move chemicals onto garments—both technologies can minimize the amount of water required during their application process. As a result, the cost of application is minimized, and water consumption and discharge are reduced.

Devan’s chief technology officer, Dr. Vanessa Daelman said that they are delighted that they were able to collaborate with Jeanologia to demonstrate that Devan technology can be conveniently added to garments or fabrics like denim while maintaining maximum functionality.

She added that the relationship opens up possibilities including adding an antimicrobial treatment to a finished product, something she believes would become more relevant in a more circular clothing environment where reuse is a big deal.

With leading denim brands like Tommy Hilfiger and Gap launching their first circular collections this year, mills with long-term environmental aspirations are now thinking about these issues. 

The e-Flow technology from Jeanologia is compatible with every industrial washing machine, allowing sustainable implementation approaches more available and simple to introduce. This technology is just one part of the company's Mission Zero goal, which is to use no more water or hazardous substances in a single pair of jeans worldwide by 2025. Last month, the company teamed up with Archroma, a specialty chemicals company, to create a water-saving cold denim dyeing technique.