Wrangler gears towards halving water usage by 2030

Heritage US denim brand Wrangler has declared it is setting its sights on halving its water usage by 2030 as part of its increased sustainability focus.

The updated goal targets the fibre production, fabric construction and product finishing phases of the denim supply chain, which encompass more than 95% of the total water used throughout the production of a pair of jeans.

In April, Wrangler announced it had surpassed its original 2020 goal by saving over seven billion litres of water in the product finishing phase of its denim products since 2008 – equivalent to the daily drinking water needs of almost four billion people.

Tom Waldron, EVP, global brand president of Wrangler, said: “We’re learning from our past successes in water conservation and expanding the scope of our efforts to be more inclusive of some of the biggest water impacts in our supply chain.

“Our new water goal is ambitious, and necessary. New technologies and practices will empower Wrangler to make progress and advance the industry forward in water conservation measures.”

To realise the new goal, Wrangler is collaborating with the Transformers Foundation to complete a comprehensive water balance study, which will analyse the denim industry’s water consumption by production phase.

Roian Atwood, senior director of global sustainable business at Wrangler, added: “A renewed sustainability target creates an organisational focus that enables Wrangler to create meaningful change through the conservation of water resources. Because water is a shared resource, its conservation is also a shared responsibility. Working with the Transformers Foundation will help accelerate sustainability collaboration in our industry.”

In addition to its work in the finishing phase, Wrangler will align the new goal with  other existing projects in its denim production process, including "Indigood Foam Dyeing".

In 2019, Wrangler became the first brand to offer denim dyed with foam, which uses 100% less water than conventionally-dyed denim.