Denim Industry Advances in Sustainability as EIM Report Tracks Over 100,000 Finishing Processes

Environmental Impact Measurement (EIM) has published its second annual report, Denim Industry Progress & Insights 2025, offering an assessment of environmental performance across more than 100,000 real denim finishing processes.

The report outlines developments in the textile sector, which continues to address its environmental footprint through measurement and process evaluation. EIM provides a framework for assessing impacts and supporting operational decisions aimed at improving efficiency and sustainability.

According to the report, 66% of denim finishing processes are currently classified as low impact. This reflects changes driven by process optimisation and the adoption of more efficient technologies.

In terms of resource consumption, water usage remains stable at approximately 30 liters per garment, indicating a plateau following previous reductions. Energy performance shows higher improvement, with 85% of processes categorised as low impact, supported by advancements in equipment and automation.

The report identifies chemical impact as the primary challenge for the sector. Around 27% of processes are still classified as high impact due to factors such as the use of generic chemicals, limited transparency in formulations, and continued reliance on practices including pumice stones and potassium permanganate.

Worker health impact has shown improvement, with 68% of processes classified as low impact. This is linked to increased use of automated technologies replacing manual techniques associated with higher exposure risks.

“The industry has proven that it can improve when it measures its impact, but the next step requires accelerating the adoption of technologies and leaving behind practices that are no longer sustainable,” says Begoña García, creator of EIM and co-author of the report. “Today more than ever, we need reliable data to make informed decisions and move towards a real transformation of the industry.”

The report reinforces EIM’s role as a standard for measuring environmental impact in denim finishing. It is designed to enable brands and manufacturers to benchmark performance, identify areas for improvement, and track progress over time.

EIM evaluates processes based on four categories: water consumption, energy consumption, chemical impact, and worker health impact. Each process is classified as low, medium, or high impact using standardised benchmarks. The methodology includes specific benchmarks for denim finishing, garment washing, and garment dyeing to ensure consistency and comparability.

The full report is available for download and will continue to be updated annually.