With Vietnam facility, Advance Denim doubles down on sustainability

Advance Denim‘s newest production facility, Advance Sico, in Nha Trang, Vietnam, has brought eco-friendly manufacturing to reality as part of the company’s continued commitment to sustainable innovation.

The facility, which was completed in 2020, services the growing manufacturing needs of the China-based denim manufacturer in a new market that will help it to serve more clients.

Advance Sico shares the same core values as the company’s first manufacturing facility in Shunde, China. The company not only wishes to provide its consumers with the most cutting-edge denim fashions in Vietnam but also to reflect the Shunde mill’s long history of ecological innovation.

Amy Wang, Advance Denim’s general manager, looked at the entire denim-making process after opening the Vietnam factory to see how the company could innovate with more sustainable, eco-friendly procedures. Big Box dyeing, which saves up to 95% of the water required in traditional dyeing while using traditional liquid indigo, is an example of this targeted approach to sustainability.

Advance Sico was the first mill in Vietnam to use Archroma‘s aniline-free indigo, which is a cleaner, safer indigo dye that does not include the carcinogenic chemical aniline.

BioBlue indigo was then introduced to Advance Denim’s dye spectrum in Vietnam, resulting in clean indigo that does not produce a toxic waste that is hazardous to the environment. By removing the highly combustible and unstable chemical sodium hydrosulfite from the workplace, BioBlue indigo also makes it a safer place to work.

Sodium hydrosulfite has a high salt concentration, as its name implies, and salt is notoriously difficult to extract from wastewater. The powder-like product has a high sulphate content, which can build up in wastewater and cause dangerous gas emissions. Not only is sodium hydrosulfite bad for the environment, but it’s also a highly combustible substance that’s dangerous to carry.

Advance Sico is located in the worldwide tourist hotspot of Nha Trang, Vietnam, which is famed for its beaches and scuba diving. The business feels a responsibility to safeguard the natural environment and be the cleanest, most sustainable mill it can be by running the Advance Sico factory there.

Advance Denim responded by installing a cutting-edge reverse osmosis water purification system that effectively removes residual indigo and hazardous contaminants. This technique produces water that is nearly 50% cleaner than the national chemical oxygen demand standard (COD). This also allows the company to recycle over 40% of the water utilized during the manufacturing process.

Sustainability is driven not only by procedures but also by the raw materials themselves, as all denim manufacturers must be aware. Within the company’s Greenlet sustainable collections in Vietnam, the Advance Sico facility uses sustainable materials such as finespun hemp and finespun recycled cotton.

Amy Wang, Advance Denim’s general manager, said that they’re also collaborating with global sustainability leaders like Lenzing to include their vast selection of circular and carbon-neutral fibers into several of their styles. Not only are they happy to associate with some of the world’s most sustainable inventors, but they also believed that having the certifications to back up their statements was vital. These certifications are critical in assuring their customers that Advance Sico is doing everything necessary to be Vietnam’s most environmentally friendly denim manufacturer.

Advance Sico is certified by the Global Recycled Standard (GRS), the Organic Content Standard (OCS), the Recycled Claim Standard (RCS), and the Global Organic Textile Standard. Advance Denim will continue to challenge traditional denim manufacturing methods and develop new sustainable manufacturing methods.

Wang added that they’re proud of Big Box denim and BioBlue indigo, and how these technologies make indigo dyeing cleaner, safer, and more sustainable without sacrificing the hue and washability of conventional indigo. They’re thrilled to bring these sustainable innovations to Advance Sico in Vietnam in order to be closer to their ever-growing client base in that region and better serve the demands of their customers all around the world.