Archroma Wins ITMF 2025 Sustainability & Innovation Award

DENIM HALO redefines distressed denim production with cleaner chemistry and reduced environmental impact.

Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals, has been honored with the 2025 ITMF Sustainability & Innovation Award for its groundbreaking DENIM HALO process — a next-generation denim pretreatment and dyeing technology that allows brands and mills to create authentic distressed denim looks while dramatically cutting water, energy, and chemical usage.

Archroma’s DENIM HALO represents a significant leap forward for the denim industry, combining fashion creativity with measurable sustainability. The process simplifies the production of distressed denim—highly popular for decades—without relying on traditional, hazardous, or energy-intensive techniques such as manual scraping, potassium permanganate sprays, or stone-washing.

“Archroma believes in challenging the status quo. Under our planet-conscious roadmap, we seek solutions that not only advance sustainability but also nurture the creativity and profitability of textile manufacturers,” said Dhirendra Gautam, Vice President Commercial, Archroma. “DENIM HALO exemplifies this approach, and we’re honored that it has been recognized by ITMF. In partnership with mills across the globe, we’re proving that world-class sustainability and world-class products aren’t trade-offs—they’re the same goal.”

At the core of DENIM HALO is DIRSOL® RD, a viscosity-modifying and patented pretreatment innovation that enables superficial dyeing while reducing water, energy, and greenhouse gas emissions. The process integrates this pretreatment with Archroma’s dye systems tailored to specific mill requirements, including:

• DENISOL® pre-reduced indigo dyes, featuring an aniline-free formulation.
• DIRESUL® pre-reduced sulfur dyes, with energy-saving black variants.
• EarthColors®, biosynthetic dyes derived from agricultural waste.

According to Archroma’s ONE WAY Impact Calculator, DENIM HALO delivers substantial sustainability benefits over traditional dyeing methods — including 40–56% water savings, 30–36% energy reduction, and 33–34% lower CO₂ emissions, depending on the dye formulation. The process also meets ZDHC Level 3 MRSL compliance standards, affirming its environmental safety and performance.

Beyond sustainability, DENIM HALO offers key advantages in efficiency and safety. Mills can implement the process without altering standard dye recipes or investing in new machinery. It enhances worker safety by enabling laser etching for distressed effects, eliminating potassium permanganate sprays, and reducing manual labor. The process also lowers caustic soda use, minimizes yarn shrinkage, and improves garment tensile strength — particularly in black denim production.

The ITMF Sustainability & Innovation Award, part of the annual International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) Awards, recognizes outstanding contributions to sustainable progress and technological excellence in the global textile sector. Archroma received the honor during the ITMF Annual Conference held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, from October 24–25, 2025.