Devalia which has recently been named Sustainability Consultancy of the Year at the Innovation and Excellence Awards 2023, organised by UK-based publisher Corporate LiveWire has been buoyed by a new European directive that bans greenwashing and requires proof of sustainability claims.
The founder of consultancy Devalia has said companies will now need to prove any claims they make, and the project to map out the potential risks, or otherwise, of using ozone to treat denim fabrics will provide them with data to substantiate their claims.
The European Union is asking that every sustainability claim must be substantiated with scientific data provided by well-known institutions. This gives complete validation for Devalia project.
Till now fabrics made from 100 percent cotton, 99 percent cotton and 1 percent elastane, and 71 percent recycled cotton and 29 percent conventional cotton have been analysed. They have been treated in ozone in water, with and without final neutralisation. Italian research centre STIIMA-CNR has measured ozone presence in the fabrics at the end of treatment, mechanical resistance and abrasion resistance, with the results published soon.
“The Digital Product Passport of a textile product could include indication of the chemicals used in the manufacturing processes and presence of concerning substances,” said Ms Benefatt the CEO of Devalia. “Through scientific analysis it can be assured accuracy, compliance and transparency in product composition and safety standards, and our process can validate data for DPP requirements.”
Project partners machinery manufacturer Nexia Italy and STIIMA-CNR aim to increase knowledge of ozone reactions in the treatment of different categories of fibres and, more generally, to investigate the potential of the technology.
The judging panel that awarded Devalia said it was particularly impressed with the consultancy’s “dedication to innovating the fashion sector’s entire supply chain process”.
