Denim Manufacturer Aztex Trading Invests in Organic and Recycled Dyes

Responsible manufacturing is a puzzle to most apparel companies, but the pieces are coming together, according to Mexico-based Aztex Trading.

Graham Anderton, president of the denim manufacturer, said sustainability is advancing thanks to companies in the supply chain creating new technologies that are compatible with existing machinery.

This hasn’t always been the case. For example, Anderton said Aztex’s initial investment in Jeanologia’s e-Flow technology didn’t yield immediate results. Through trial and error, the company found that “normal chemicals” don’t work with the system which uses nanobubbles as a carrier to transmit chemicals into garments with minimal water and zero discharge. Aztex eventually landed on Officina39’s range of sustainable dyestuff as an effective alternative.

Companies are working together to brainstorm solutions. During a recent R&D workshop with a Canadian client at Jeanologia’s new Miami hub, Anderton said an Officina39 representative in Italy stayed on the phone with them through the whole process. “We had all of the moving parts guiding us,” he said, resulting in low-impact washes that Aztex will recreate at its Mexico facility for the client.

Anderton said clients are becoming more comfortable pivoting to sustainable processes as the supply chain streamlines technologies, to the point where brands are pushing Aztex to do more. At Sourcing Magic in Las Vegas this month, the company presented several ways it meets this demand, including efforts to eliminate harmful potassium permanganate spray and ways to reduce water usage.

Natural dyes, which have gained significant importance in recent years amid growing concern over the health and environmental impacts of synthetic colorings, are one of those solutions. Patricia Medina, Aztex director, said the dyes resonate with eco-conscious consumers and offer designers new creative opportunities. The company showed garments dyed with a nebulization process and hand sprayed with low heat and low water. It also displayed garments that Medina hand-painted herself.

Aztex sources the natural dyes from Spanish supplier Tintes Egara, which uses plants and minerals to create a 2023 color palette that spans lemon, avocado, sky, peach, carbon and more. The organic colors can be applied in a multitude of shades and intensities depending on the application and concentration on the material.

The dyes, which are classified as green, allows substantial reductions in resources. Aztex reported that the natural dyes reduce water consumption by 60 percent, energy consumption by 50 percent and chemical consumption by 40 percent.

Though the initial cost of these new sustainable chemicals run higher than the industry standard, Anderton said companies are seeing long-term savings. For example, the dyes that are compatible with e-Flow technology cost more, but brands use less of it because the nanobubbles absorb the color better. They are also able to reduce water and energy costs.

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