SOORTY'S
Sustainability Dictionary
Access Economy
Airflow
The business model where goods and services are offered on the basis of access rather than ownership. Put simply, renting things temporarily instead of selling buying them permanently and providing access to them anyhow. Commonly interlined with sharing economy, Access Economy utilizes a technology platform, usually accessed via mobile phones as well as other devices to connect suppliers and consumers, reducing the need of intermediaries.
Inspired by tumble- drying, airflow helps control shrinkage levels of the warp & the weft of the fabric.
While soak and dry is the conventional method for shrinking the fabric, airflow is a unique, modern machine that skips the huge water baths and tanks, hence saving large amounts of water. Padding little amounts of water or a softener; and utilizing air circulation, the shrinkage levels after wash are minimized and garment production is easier to handle.
Accountability
The acknowledgement of responsibility by an organization or individual for actions, decisions, products, and policies that it undertakes. All our actions have an impact on our planet. We, at Soorty, are dedicated to make ours positive.
Amni Soul Eco®
Bio-Degradable Nylon enhanced with a unique formula, which enabling garments to quickly decompose when disposed properly.
B-Corporation
B Corps are third party certified businesses of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. Being a community B Corps drive a global movement using business as a force for good.
Better Cotton Initiative
Found to make global cotton production better for the people who produce it, better for the environment it grows in and better for the industry’s future.
Designed to ensure the exchange of good practice and to encouraging the scale up of collective action, BCI aims to make cotton a sustainable, mainstream commodity.
Biodiversity
Biological diversity of life on our planet; usually approached three levels: ecosystem diversity, species diversity, and genetic diversity. At Soorty, we have embraced responsible sourcing, manufacturing and management at the core of all our activities. Hence, protection of limited natural resources and biodiversity are strongly connected with our principles of sustainable development.
Bio
The prefix “bio” means life in Greek and is connected with life and living things.
Bio-based
Bio-based materials are those derived from biological or renewable resources; from living or once alive origins.
Biodegradable
Goods that can naturally break down in the environment with a limited period of time. All materials break down eventually, but some of them can take thousands of years and can release chemicals and harmful substances in the process while others that were designed and produced consciously have no damage on the environment.
Biofuel
Fuel produced by the chemical and/or biological processing of biomass
Biologically Diverse Soil
Biomass
The amount of living matter in a given habitat - i.e. the volume of organisms per unit volume of habitat. From an energy point of view; it is the matter (generally plant sourced) that can be converted to fuel and hence be regarded as a potential energy source.
The variety of living organisms that exist in soil interacting with one another. From plants to bacteria, fungi to earthworms and termites; the biodiversity forms a web of biological activity and is essential to both the environment and to agricultural industries. A teaspoon of soil typically contains a vast range of different species, up to 6 billion microorganisms - soil is by far the most diverse material on Earth.
Biomimicry
The amount of living matter in a given habitat - i.e. the volume of organisms per unit volume of habitat. From an energy point of view; it is the matter (generally plant sourced) that can be converted to fuel and hence be regarded as a potential energy source.
Blockchain
Digital ledgers recording transactions chronologically and publicly. It is composed of blocks - records of new transactions - that are added to the chain when completed, hence the name blockchain. Since blockchain avoids the use of middle men, and the information that is constantly being updated is stored, distributed & shared among players it enables users to reach, track and trace transparent information.
Brand Experience
Bioplastic
Plastics that are made or derived from biological materials and renewable feedstocks, such as starch, cellulose, vegetable oils & fats. Bioplastics may or may not be biodegradable as some are only partially biobased, containing both renewable and fossil based carbon; hence under which conditions they biodegrade can vary widely. Depending on multiple circumstances, the degradation times can differ from several days to several years.
Blow Room
The initial stage in spinning process that defines the quality of yarn.
Set of machinery connected to one another where bales are opened and different varieties of cotton are blended, removing seeds, dust and all impurities. Fibers are separated according to length size and mixed till a homogeneous level with unity is reached.
Experiences designed to deliver marketing approach that triggers a holistic set of powerful human feelings created by a brand to influence internal (employees) and external (customers and other stakeholders) on about a particular product or company name
Carbon Dioxide
The most abundant greenhouse gas emitted from fossil fuels; gas with the chemical formula CO2.
Carbon Footprint
The quantity measure of greenhouse gases emitted. Involves sourcing of raw materials, manufacturing processes, transport, purchase and life cycle of items with consideration to the greenhouse gasses produced as well as the intake of food and natural sources.
Carbon Neutral
Activities and measures where the net carbon input of organizations, individuals, societies, etc are the same as outputs. For example, assuming there is a constant amount of vegetation on the planet, burning wood will add carbon to the atmosphere and the total carbon being emitted and restored will cycle back, balancing each other out.
Carbon Offsetting
Reducing emissions of greenhouse gases via different projects and carbon trading schemes.
Cellulosic Fiber
Being used in a wide range of different fabrics, from denim or corduroy to muslin or organza; cellulosic fibers are structured from cellulose, a starch-like carbohydrate. Natural cellulosic fibers are cotton, hemp, linen, bamboo. Man-made cellulosic fibers are produced by dissolving natural materials such as cellulose or wood pulp and include lyocell and rayon (viscose, modal, viscose filament, Cupro). Sustainable cellulosic offerings include ECOVERO™ viscose, TENCEL™ modal and TENCEL™ lyocell, TENCEL™ x REFIBRA™ lyocell by Lenzing.
Circular Design
Design has a vital role and is at the core of a circular economy. Circular design is found on the principles of designing cycles in which resources are continuously cycled in various forms, following a reuse and recycle loop and hence avoiding resources to go to waste.
Circular Economy
The alternative to the traditional linear economy (‘make, use, dispose’) in which resources are kept in use for as long as possible, the maximum value extracted from them whilst in use, and then products and materials recovered and regenerated at the end of each service life.
Circular Production
Production based on the principles of circular economy with mechanisms that run with a closed loop mentality, avoiding waste with regards to one process’ output gets to become an input for another one and hence requiring no new material extraction from the planet.
Circularity
The approach of designing and producing goods that can be repaired, remade, reused, repurposed and eventually recycled or biodegraded at the end of their life cycle. Processes and products that waste no more.
Clean Development Mechanism
Defined in the Kyoto Protocol (IPCC, 2007) CDM allows emission reduction projects in developing countries to generate Certified Emission Reduction credits (CERs) each equivalent to one tonne of CO2, which may be traded in emissions trading schemes.
The mechanism stimulates sustainable development and emission reductions, while giving industrialized countries flexibility in how they meet their emission reduction limitation targets.
Clean Water
As the UN explains: “Clean water is a basic human need,that should be easily accessible to all. There is sufficient fresh water on the planet to achieve this. However, due to poor infrastructure, investment and planning, every year millions of people die from diseases associated with inadequate water supply, sanitation and hygiene.” Clean water is water suitable for drinking, free from harmful microorganisms and substances.
Climate Jeans
Soorty’s SS2021 collection dedicated to our beautiful planet and the climate emergency. From responsible resourcing to conscious manufacturing, fabric / article names to collection spot, all details have been brought together with references to the climate change to increase awareness and precision towards the issue.
CO2 Emission
Carbon dioxide (CO2) makes up the vast majority of GHG emissions - responsible for about 3/4 of global warming - with smaller amounts of other gases like methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) contributing. These gases are released through our daily activities - individually and industrially - and create a big threat to our future as they warm our planet. Being colorless to the naked eye, CO2 is opaque to infrared radiation in the atmosphere, it acts as a blanket to slow the loss of heat from Earth into space.
Clean Energy
Energy that is collected from renewable resources which are naturally replenished. Examples are sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves and geothermal heat.
Clean Indigo
With studies pointing out man- made indigo is produced utilizing “aniline”; we started searching for innovative methods to purify this extra substance from the equation. Partnering up with Archroma on the world’s first clean liquid indigo, we offer a unique, aniline free indigo dyeing technology.
Climate Action
The stepped-up efforts to reduce GHG emissions, strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-induced impacts including: climate-related hazards, integrating climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning; and improving education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity with respect to climate change.
Climate Change
Climate change is no longer an issue of debate but a fact of reality. Within the current scenario, the global consumption and production rates can only be used as a source of power if we, collaboratively change for better.
Closed Loop
Sustainable economic system, where the inputs used to create a product are the same as its end-of-life outputs. The zero waste approach hence completely reuses, recycles or composts all materials.
Code of Ethics
Defines the values and responsibilities that the company recognizes, accepts, shares and adopts both inside and outside the company - within a framework of fair competition, honesty, integrity and good faith, in respect of the legitimate interest of all its stakeholders including the customers, employees, shareholders, and communities.
Cogeneration
The simultaneous production of electricity and heat, energy, from the combustion of the same fuel source.
Collective Impact
Cross-sector coordination to bring about large-scale social change.
Compostable
Collaboration
The act of working with someone to produce something. Collaboration among different brands and industry players with shared values, goals and work ethics not only eases things out as joining forces will enable the amount of work done by one to be shared but also increases the impact as the audiences interfere.
Compliance
Being a certain treaty / agreement / certification / assurance compliant means you are verified to be successfully bringing out all your responsibilities in that issue.
While biodegradable materials return to nature and can disappear completely, compostable materials leave behind a humus full of nutrients which is great for plants and the soil. In short, compostable products are biodegradable, but with an added benefit.
Composting
Biological decomposition of organic materials with oxygen that yields to emission of CO2, heat, and organic residues that may later become soil additives.
Condensate Recovery
When steam transfers its heat in a manufacturing which is necessary to run all production processes, it reverts to a liquid phase - condensate - which is not simply a bi-product or an output for us but also a source of energy, that is brought back in the loop to activate further coming processes.
Consumer Behavior
Conscious Consumerism
The increasing wave of conscious consumer behavior where the customer is aware of the environmental and social impacts of purchasing a certain product that was not produced responsibly. The conscious consumer is careful to sustain businesses as well, yet purchases items that answer guidelines of responsible manufacturing and avoid contributing wasteful or harmful processes.
Marketing science that studies individuals, groups, or organizations and all the activities associated with the decision making, purchase, use and disposal of goods and services, including the consumer's psychological, emotional, mental and behavioral responses that precede or follow these activities.
Consumer Democracy
Coolmax® EcoMade
Designed to improve breathability and performance, COOLMAX is widely used in the denim industry as denim is a big part of our daily-active lives. Soorty proudly uses COOLMAX ECOMADE - made from 97% recycled resources like plastic bottles - to produce fabric that moves moisture away from the skin and helps keep the wearer cool, dry and comfortable for longer.
Consumers using their economic capacity to promote values in the link between supply and demand to generate goods and services that are produced, provided, distributed, marketed and taken care of in approaches that reflect their social and personal values.
Corporate Social Responsibility
Core Treatment
Automation powered solution for increased efficiency in laundry, creating both uniform and contrasting effects, bringing out the full potential of the garment. Drastically reduces water use, and enables us to create special dyes with extremely low environmental impact - i.e. a 1:1 liquor ratio.
A business framework that prioritizes people, societies and the planet as much as its profit. Aims to develop and sustain businesses that have a positive relationship with the societies/environments in which they operate in.
Cradle to Cradle
Cradle to Grave
Accounting for the impact of producing a product, from creation to end use. It is a linear flow: ‘take-make-use-throw away’
Product designers, manufacturers and brands around the world rely on the Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard as a transformative pathway for designing and making products with a positive impact on people and planet.
Soorty’s C2C GOLD PRODUCT RANGE is a design system for developing sustainable products based on circular design. It improves the way of MAKE.USE.RE-USE of things, recognizing biological & technical reutilization of denim fabric; as we intend to make our impact on human society and the planet a positive one
Crowd Funding
The joint effort of individuals who network and pool their money, usually online, to support a wide variety of activities including start-up company funding, disaster relief and campaigns. For many social enterprises the traditional funding models no longer exist, so crowd funding is an access economy mechanism establishing or fundraising social/environmental activities.
Cruelty Free
Usually referencing to animal welfare, and a product being free from animal testing.
Denim Curiosity Table
The Denim Curiosity Table is Soorty’s easy going display of responsible manufacturing intending to create an easy to follow journey of denim manufacturing experience for visitors. The different stages of denim production - materials, and manufacturing methods from cotton flowers, to spinning, yarns to fabric, the different treatments all the way towards finished garments and recycling - are showcased with clear and easy to follow description over a mobile-set up that can be displayed over any table.
Desertification
Degradation of land in arid, semi arid and dry sub-humid areas resulting mainly from human activities as well as climate change - which again, is mainly sourcing from misbehavior of humans.
Design For Purpose
At its core, design is about improvement and making things better. Design thinking is the key to developing goods that allocate and utilize correct resources efficiently. Designing for positive impact means creating models and strategies that consider sustainability, supply chains, working conditions and the post product life cycle of equal importance to aesthetics, profit and growth.
Design Thinking
Design thinking is the key to developing goods that allocate and utilize correct resources efficiently.
Considering that the life cycle of a product begins already when being designed, at Soorty, we consider design for purpose a tool for improvement.
Developing Countries
Digital Denim Garment
Development of a country is measured using a mix of economic factors - i.e. income per capita, GDP, degree of modern infrastructure, industrialisation degree, proportion of economy devoted to agriculture and natural resource extraction - and social ones - i.e. life expectancy, the rate of literacy, poverty. The UN’s Human Development Index (HDI) shows a strong correlation between low income and high population growth. In developing countries, there is low per capita income, widespread poverty, and low capital formation. In developed countries there is continuous economic growth and a relatively high standard of living.
Pioneering the denim industry, Soorty has collaborated with The Fabricant - Amsterdam based digital fashion house - on The World’s First Digital Denim Garment. Using the digital craftsmanship and uniquely crafted engineering techniques, the collaboration is not wasting any material and using solely data.
Digital Fashion
Technology and fashion walk hand in hand as we discover the future possibilities and design for the days to come. Digital fashion is the interplay between technology and couture, the visual representation of imagination of clothing built using computer technologies and 3D software.
Diversity
Understanding, recognizing and respecting that each individual is unique. With individual differences of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, culture, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies, we are all different and unique. We come altogether in harmony to form our planet.
Drought
Drip Irrigation
A type of micro-irrigation system with a potential to save water and nutrients by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants. By allowing the water directly to fall on the root, evaporation is minimized.
DuPont™ Sorona®
First fiber representing a shift from oil-based materials to bio-based; 37% renewably sourced from industrial corn that is not edible by humans. Delivers good stretch, recovery and shape retention in a soft and smooth hand feel.
Dyneema®
Water shortage relative to availability, supply and demand. One of the big threats of the climate change.
Dyeing
Dyeing is the application of dyes or pigments on textile materials such as fibers, yarns, and fabrics with the goal of achieving color with desired color fastness. What gives our beloved blue jeans its color is indigo - originating from the Indigofera plant. While indigo is one of the oldest dyestuffs still in use today, natural indigo is not the most sustainable alternative to color our blue jeans as synthetic versions offer a much bigger affinity and absorption, resulting with much less use of inputs including water and energy.
Ultra-strong fiber that provides a remarkable improvement in tensile & tear strength, ideal for functional clothing. Fabrics made with DYNEEMA® are made to last longer.
E-cycling
Recycling / repurposing electronic waste.
E-flow
Conventionally, water used to be the carrier of chemicals to the garments, going to waste at the end of every cycle, still containing the chemicals within. With the new technology of E-flow by Jeanologia, we use the air that surrounds us as the carrier which homogeneously transmits the recipe to the garment; meaning no water waste, and no chemical discharge.
Eco-
A prefix which is commonly added to many words these days indicating a general consideration for the environment and the planet. e.g. ecohousing, ecolabel, ecomaterial.
E-waste
Electronic waste - especially mobile phones, televisions and personal computers.
Earth Overshoot Day
Hosted and calculated by Global Footprint Network, Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when we, humanity, exhaust our natural resources’ budget for the year. In other words it is when ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what our planet can regenerate in that year. In 2020, Earth Overshoot Day falls on August 22, more than 3 weeks later than last year. COVID-19 caused our footprint to contract, showing that change in consumption in a short timeframe is possible. However, true sustainability can only be achieved by design, not by disasters.
Ecological Footprint
Eco-friendly
Literally meaning earth-friendly - in other words, not harmful to the environment.
Ecology
The impact of a person, community or industry on the environment - measured as the amount of land required to sustain their use of natural resources. As a sustainability assessment, the simplest way to define ecological footprint is the amount of the environment necessary to produce the goods and services necessary to support a particular lifestyle.
The study of living organisms and their relationships to one another and their environment - study of processes regulating the distribution and abundance of organisms; the ecosystem structures and functions.
Ecosystem
Economic Growth
Increase in the amount of goods and services produced per head of the population over a period of time. SDG 8 of 17 promotes sustained, inclusive & sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.
A dynamic complex of plant, animal and microorganism communities and their non-living environment all interacting with one another as a holistic, functional unit.
Education
Efficiency
Denoting the ratio between inputs and outputs, efficiency is a vital first step towards sustainability since it improves performance and reduces costs, waste and pollution.
The process of teaching or learning, and the knowledge that you get from this. SDG 4 of 17 aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
Effulent
A discharge or emission of liquid, gas or other waste product.
Emissions
The production and discharge of something from a source - especially gas, energy or radiation.
Energy Efficiency
Using less energy to provide the same or more level of energy service; sourcing from the consciousness of limited natural resources, integrating technology and the dedication to do more with less with know-how to make the most of what is limited.
Energy Recovery
The productive extraction of energy, usually electricity or heat, from waste or materials that would otherwise have gone to landfills as waste.
Environment
The external conditions, resources, stimuli etc. with which an organism interacts.
Energy
The capacity, strength and vitality required for a sustained physical or mental activity. May exist in various forms like potential, kinetic, thermal, solar, electrical, chemical, nuclear, heat and others. Energy can be neither created nor destroyed; only changed from one form to another. This is known as the conservation of energy and the first law of thermodynamics.
Energy Management
Well-planned actions and strategies aiming to reduce energy use with regards to limited natural resources and climate emergency via simultaneously reducing costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
Environmental Impact
Any change and affect on the environment, whether adverse or beneficial, as a result of activities, products, or services.
Environmental Impact Measurement
Introduced by Jeanologia, EIM is a software developed to measure the environmental impact - water, chemical and energy consumption as well as worker health - for garment finishing. Monitoring and measuring the impact enables to identify areas of improvement and define actions to be more sustainable.
Environmental Movement (Environmentalism)
The diverse scientific, social, and political movement advocating the responsible and sustainable management of resources and stewardship of the nature via changes in public and individual behaviors. In its recognition of humanity as a participant in ecosystems, the movement is centered around ecology, health, and human rights.
Environmentally Friendly
Literally meaning earth-friendly - in other words, not harmful to the environment.
Ethics
Erosion
Displacement of land (sediment, soil, rock and other particles) mainly due to external agents of currents like earthquakes, wind, water, or ice by downward or down-slope movement in response to gravity or by living organisms.
Derived from the Greek word ethos which can mean custom, habit or character, ethics are set of moral principles that govern a person's behavior, concerned with what is good for individuals and society.
Eutrophication
An increase in chemical nutrients, typically compounds containing nitrogen or phosphorus, in an ecosystem.
Fair Trade
An alternative to conventional trade, based on a partnership between producers and purchasers of products. Ensures that farmers and workers get a fair share of the benefits of the trade, allowing them be economically safe. A percentage of the commodity price goes into community development projects in the farmers’ community.
Fast Fashion
Design, creation, and marketing of clothing fashions that emphasizes making fashion trends quickly and cheaply available to consumers - while the intention of development of the concept might be accessing wider audiences the impacts on the planet, societies and future is undeniable.
Fashion Revolution
A global movement to encourage a fashion industry that values the people, environment, creativity and profit in equal measure. It was born on 24th April 2013, when the Rana Plaza factory collapsed killing 1138 people and injuring many more. Fashion Revolution owns a Fashion Revolution Week taking place every April, and promoting the #whomademyclothes campaign.
Finished Garment
Apart from washing and cleaning, finishes do not necessarily involve wet processes. In certain cases, applying different finishes can bring along additional functions like water or dirt repellency, moisture management, laser touches, no-wrinkle, etc.
Fiber
Thin thread of natural or manmade substances that are significantly longer than it is wide. Spun together to make yarn, which will be woven into fabrics and used to make textile products.
Fiber to Jeans
Soorty's concept on a closed responsible and sustainable denim production journey. Being Pakistan’s largest vertically integrated denim company, we are able to offer complete visibility and transparency through the supply chain. Owning our own spinning units, denim mills, recycling plants, apparel manufacturing factories and R&D Lab comes along with different advantages. Being able to manage, monitor and optimize all processes from spinning to garment finishing allows us to sustain quality, that comes along with increased efficiency and offering speed to market solutions.
Finishing
Variety of processes that help convert the weaved denim fabric into a state where it will be used. The applications performed depend on the look, performance, hand and feel desired.
A key and lock innovation by Soorty Enterprises. Developed in NASDA Innovation Lab and scaled up in Soorty Denim Mill & Soorty Garment Factories.
FIX-D
Forestration
The act of planting or cultivating forest growth on areas that either had forest or lacked it naturally. Being highly threatened by water scarcity and climate emergency, Pakistan is very committed to going green and has an initiative called the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami Programme - an ambitious forest restoration project aiming to restore the environmental strength while fighting climate change. During the pandemic, the government approached forestation very creatively and hired daily workers who were laid off as a result of COVID19 during the pandemic, and offered them jobs of planting trees.
Future Possibilities
Soorty’s on and offline communication platform aiming to build a transparent dialogue between different layers of the supply chain. Future Possibilities originates from three main principles: transparency, two-way communication, and collaboration. On the online level it serves as an open source library with inspirational stories and know-how on how denim can be responsible, on the offline level travels around the world with presences in different occasions like pop-up activations, events, festivals and exhibitions to reach stakeholders.
Footprint
The impression left behind - by humans, companies, industries or governments. With regards to sustainability and responsibility, it refer to physical footprint, environmental footprint, water footprint, carbon footprint etc.
Forest
Area covered with trees and undergrowth. As well as providing timber, food, fuel and other bioproducts’ resource and supporting the livelihoods of millions around the world, forests also store carbon, preserve soils and nurture a diversity of species, they help cleanse / purify water and air, and maintain wildlife habitat. Forests are our essential weapons fighting climate emergency in our days forward.
Fossil Fuel
Being the world’s primary energy source, fossil fuels (coal, oil, or natural gases) are formed in the earth from organic material like plant or animal remains over the course of millions of years. Burning of fossil fuels are responsible for a big portion of greenhouse gas emissions which eventually warm up our planet.
G2 Dynamic
The G2 Dynamic technology of Jeanologia uniquely replaces the use of many chemicals and water that are conventionally involved in the mercerization of the fabric with the ozone gas that surrounds us, adopting the technology radically lowers the environmental impact.
Gender Equality
Equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making; and valuing different behaviors, aspirations and needs equally, regardless of gender. While gender equality unfortunately is not yet a fundamental human right, it should be. SDG 5 of 17 aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls in the world.
GOTS
Global Organic Textile Standard is the standard by which fibers, fabrics and textiles are approved and verified of being made from organic origins. Only textiles made of at least 70% organic fibres can be granted as GOTS certified.
Genetically Modified
Altering the genetic makeup of an organism externally via genetic engineering to produce a desired characteristic.
Global Citizens
People who are aware of the wider world - understanding they are simply part of an entire ecosystem. They take an active role in their community, and work with others to make our planet more equal, fair and sustainable
Globalization
Expansion of interactions to global or worldwide scale; increasing interdependence, integration and interaction among people and organizations from around the world. A mix of economic, social, technological, cultural, and political interrelationships.
Green Design
Environmentally sustainable design.
Green Building
Architectural design that moves towards self-sufficiency sustainability by adopting circular metabolism.
Energy that is collected from renewable resources which are naturally replenished. Examples are sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves and geothermal heat.
Green Energy
Green Power
Electricity power generated using clean, renewable energy sources (such as solar, wind, biomass and hydro power) and supplied through the grid.
Greenhouse Effect
The insulating effect of atmospheric greenhouse gases that raise our planet’s temperature and leading to the climate change.
Greenhouse Gases
Gases that absorb infrared radiation emitted from Earth’s surface and reradiate it back to Earth’s surface, and hence contribute to the warming up of the climate by creating a greenhouse like effect. Carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor are the most commonly found GHGs. Human activities since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution have caused a radical increase in GHG emissions.
GreenScreen® Chemicals
A globally recognized tool that identifies hazardous chemicals and safer alternatives by an assessment designed to identify chemicals of high concern and safer alternatives. It is used by industries, governments and NGOs to support product design and development, procurement, and use.
Greenwashing
The practice of marketing goods in a way that misleads the consumer about its environmental impacts. It is unfortunately quite common in our industry to use sustainability as a marketing tool, as we sadly see the word sustainability lose its value yet with the digital era rising and the conscious consumer demanding more and more information to trace and track their goods because they want to know the environmental impact of their purchases, we hope it will evolve into a genuine approach at the core of every business rather than being a trend.
Habitat
An ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species.
Heat
Energy coming from the motion of molecules; a form of energy into which all other forms of energy may be degraded.
Health
The state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being. Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being at all ages is essential for sustainable development. Currently, the world is facing a global health crisis like no other — COVID-19 is spreading human suffering, destabilizing the global economy and upending the lives of billions of people. Before the pandemic, major progress was made in improving the health of millions. SDG 3 of 17 aims to promote this.
Herbal Indigo
Designed for Soorty’s innovative journey towards the fully responsible denim, Herbal Indigo extracted from the Indigofera plant - recognized as true indigo - preserves the aesthetics of denim heritage with environmental positive impact since it avoids the release of extra COD and BOD caused by the synthetic indigo dyes.
Hunger
HIGG Index
Developed by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, the Higg Index is a set of tools that enables brands, retailers, and facilities to measure and score a company or product’s sustainability performance at any stage of their sustainability journey. It delivers a holistic overview empowering businesses to make meaningful improvements that protect the well-being of factory workers, local communities, and the environment.
With +250M people potentially at the brink of starvation, swift action needs to be taken to provide food and humanitarian relief to the most at-risk regions. At the other side of the coin, a huge amount of food is being wasted everyday as a result of irresponsible production and consumption. SDG 2 of 17 aims to increase agricultural productivity and sustainable food production which are crucial to help fight hunger.
Indigo+
When Sodium Hydro Sulfide is as a reducing agent for indigo in Rope Dyeing; it increases the COD and BOD load of the waste water, affecting the marine life negatively. Indigo+ is Soorty’s salt free indigo dyeing technology designed to cure this.
Industrial Agriculture
A form of modern farming that involves industrialized production of livestock, poultry, fish, and crops; answering mass needs in speed.
Industrial Revolution
Period of major industrialization and innovation that left a profound impact on how people lived and the way businesses operated taking place during late 1700s and early 1800s. The transition included going from hand production methods to machines, new manufacturing and production processes, use of steam and water power, development of machine tools and mechanized factory system.
The textile industry was also the first to use modern production methods. All this change, obviously, paved the way to the systems we use in the modern world today which have a direct impact on of the environment and our future.
Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Investment in infrastructure and innovation are crucial drivers of economic growth and development. With over half the world population now living in cities, mass transport and renewable energy are becoming ever more important, as are the growth of new industries and information and communication technologies. SDG 9 of 17 aims to promote sustainable industries, and inves in scientific research and innovatio to facilitate sustainable development.
Inequality
Social inequality is the existence of unequal opportunities and rewards for different social positions within a society. While Universal Declaration of Human Rights ensures all humans are born free and equal in dignity and rights, there unfortunately are inequalities across societies and SDG 10 of 17 promotes reducing inequality within and among countries.
Innovation
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Application of solutions that better meet requirements, unarticulated or existing market needs by introducing new ideas, creative thoughts or new imaginations in form of devices, process or methods.
Panel established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization and the UN Environment Programme to provide the scientific and technical foundation for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), primarily through the publication of periodic assessment report.
Kiss Roll
Kyoto Protocol
Instead of dipping the fabric in big chemical tanks and drying the water amount to the level it actually requires later, we use eco- applicators which only pad the necessary amount, saving up a vigorously high energy and water consumption.
International agreement adopted in December 1997 in Kyoto, Japan. The Protocol sets binding emission targets for developed countries that would reduce their emissions on average 5.2 percent below 1990 levels.
Landfill
Laser
Solid waste disposal in which refuse is buried between layers of soil, a method often used to reclaim low-lying ground. The word is sometimes used to refer to the waste itself.
LED Lighting
LED lightings support sustainability in several different ways - they use less energy than other types of light bulbs and creating less demand on the natural resources, create less heat loss compared to other bulbs that waste most of the energy they consume, they do not contain harmful chemicals like mercury, are durable and last longer meaning a considerable waste reduction and are made of recyclable materials which can be re-introduced to the system when disposed properly.
Life Below Water
The world’s oceans – their temperature, chemistry, currents and life – drive global systems that make the Earth habitable for humankind. How we manage this vital resource is essential for humanity as a whole, and to counterbalance the effects of climate change. Goal 14 of the 17 SDGs - Life Below Water - aim to sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems from pollution, as well as address the impacts of ocean acidification.
"Denim, being a live canvas, has always been, and will always be a part of our culture. The number of raw denim enthusiasts cannot be underestimated; yet vintage & faded jeans are the very signatures of denim that has been worn, and loved. Traditionally these looks were achieved with harsh chemicals and heavy washes that threaten not only the environment, but also the employees working with them. Soorty offers a variety of laser friendly fabrics and worn-in finishes that help achieve the desired result by eliminating the use of PP spray, massive amounts of water, energy and chemicals while providing realistic results in automation. "
LEED
Being certified with LEED is a mark of quality and achievement in green building - an independent third party verification of its green features, allowing for resource-efficient, high-performing, healthy and cost-effective environment. LEED benefits the people, planet and profit.
Life Cycle
All stages of a product's development, from raw materials, manufacturing through to consumption and ultimate disposal.
Life on Land
Lifespan of Products
The time interval from when a product is sold to when it is discarded. Lifespan of products highly depend on their ingredients and manufacturing methods which define their durability and quality. Trends and consumer habits also have a big role on it as they reflect on how well a product is taken care of. Decreased lifespan of products is a direct threat to our planet as they add on to landfills, increase waste and eventually mean more new resources to be extracted.
Human life depends on earth as much as the ocean. Plant life provides 80% of the human diet, and we rely on agriculture as an important economic resources. Forests cover 30% of Earth’s surface and provide vital habitats for millions of species. As important sources for clean air and water, forests are also crucial for combating climate change. Goal 15 of the 17 SDGs - Life on Land urges us all to take action to reduce the loss of natural habitats and biodiversity.
Linear Economy
Limited Resources
Our lives are built on systems that make use of resources, which are mostly natural and limited, meaning they will eventually run out. An emerging solution is to embrace the principles of a circular economy which aims no further waste, and realizing one industry’s waste as another one’s input and hence needing less and making more of what is limited.
For a long time, our economy has been 'linear'. This means that raw materials are used to make a product, and after its use any waste is thrown away exhausting natural resources not only by contributing to landfills but also the need of extracting new resources every time a new product is needed. Circular economies on the contrary follows the 3R approach: reduce, reuse and recycle which make more and better use of what is limited and eliminating waste.
Living Wage
A fair salary or compensation that allows the people, the heroes who actually make things happen, to earn a decent salary and not remain trapped in poverty.
LYCRA® T400® EcoMade
Low Liquor Washing
Dramatically reduces the amount of water required and brings the liquor ratio down to unparalleled levels, UP is a game changer in garment laundry. It works with a continuous, regular flow of water system constantly being injected to the machine, which is recovered and recirculated; saving water, energy and time while increasing efficiency.
Generally used for comfort stretches, T400 is generally preferred for its performance on low fabric growth and shrinkage and a long lasting shape retention. At Soorty we use T400 Ecomade, where 65% of fiber content comes from recycled plastics and renewable plant-based resources.
Man-made
Microplastics
Not natural, synthetic. Product of chemical synthesis, generally to imitate a natural product.
Man-made Fibers
"Fiber produced with various processes (chemical, physical) set-up. Man made cellulose fibers include lyocell and rayon (viscose, modal, viscose filament, Cupro) which utilize natural cellulosic materials (wood pulp, cotton, etc) as the source material. Man made synthetic fibers include polyester, polyamide (nylon), etc which use mainly synthetic raw materials from petroleum oil."
Being the second most demanded material in the textile industry after cotton, polyester is a man-made fiber that requires huge water & chemical consumption. Polyesters break up into micro plastics that are invisible to the naked eye, entering water channels, lungs of marine animals, eventually ending up in our systems too.
Minimalism
There is no “one size fits all” definition to minimalism.
Minus Zero Waste
Marine Life
The world’s oceans – their temperature, chemistry, currents and life – drive global systems that make the Earth habitable for humankind. How we manage this vital resource is essential for humanity as a whole, and to counterbalance the effects of climate change. Goal 14 of the 17 SDGs - Life Below Water - aim to sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems from pollution, as well as address the impacts of ocean acidification.
The textile industry is a polluting and dangerous one; serving as one of the main reasons of landfills. Innovation and technology brought together with authentic, sincere willingness to do good is what is going to take us there. At Soorty, we work towards Minus Zero Waste and strive make our impact on our planet a positive one. Day after day we seek alternatives to make more and better use of the limited resources we have, because we don’t have a planet B.
Modal®
"Rayon was the first regenerated cellulosic fiber after cotton; modal is known as the second generation rayon developed in early 50s and is 100% biodegradable. At Soorty we use Lenzing’s spun-dyed modal fiber, producing fabrics in different colors with a natural comfort, smoothness and versatility. "
Natural Resources
New Plastics Economy
Naturally occurring substances that are considered valuable in their relatively unmodified (natural) form.
Nearshore Manufacturing
Cost effective way to manufacture in neighboring countries for easy distribution, skilled labor, trade benefits, and financial stability. It basically works as offshore practices while enabling competitive advantages of similar time zones and geographic proximity.
Initiative of more than 850 organizations coming together for a common vision & targets of a circular economy for plastic. Aiming to fight our currently incredibly dangerous plastic problem, new plastics economy envisions a future where plastic never becomes waste or pollution with the principles of circular economy. In short the system 1- eliminates all problematic and unnecessary plastic items, 2- ensures all plastics in use reusable, recyclable, or compostable and 3- circulate all the plastic items in the economy and out of the environment.
Nylon
NGO
A not-for-profit or community based organization.
Nylon is a thermoplastic silky material used in textiles desired mainly because of its functions like retaining shape, drying quickly, thermal insulation and abrasion resistant. Conventional nylon takes years before it even begins to break down but there are much more sustainable options available on the market with radically lower environmental impact.
Ocean Acidification
Reduction in pH in waters caused by the uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Organic
Derived from a living organism.
Organic Cotton
Grown with methods and materials that have a low impact on the environment, without the use of toxic pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. In addition, federal regulations prohibit the use of genetically engineered seed for organic farming.
Overproduction
Overconsumption
When resource use is outpacing the sustainable capacity of the ecosystem. An extended pattern of overconsumption leads to environmental degradation and possible loss of limited resources. Overconsumption generally is linked to the human overpopulation - the more people there are, the more consumption of materials extracted from Earth to sustain their lives. However, there are multiple other factors influencing our mpact on the planet besides simply the number of people, our lifestyles being number one.
Production of more than is demanded by the market or needed - impacts our planet and future by adding up to the pollution problem as what is not utilized gets to be wasted, ending up in landfills. In addition, overproduction causes extra stress on Earth since it literally means extracting more material than what is needed for no return or value while the processes involved include outputs of GHGs, waste water, energy use, etc.
Overshoot
Growth beyond capacity - ecological deficit occurs when human consumption and waste production exceed the capacity of the Earth to create new resources and absorb waste. During overshoot, natural capital is being liquidated to support current use so the Earth's ability to support future life declines.
Ozone Treatment
Uniquely replacing the use of many chemicals and water that are conventionally involved in the mercerization of the fabric.
The ozone machine takes the air from the atmosphere and transforms it to ozone. Inside the tumbler, this helps achieve target effects using what is already in the air that surrounds us; and nothing more.
Replacing the mercerization process with ozone gas instead of the use of chemicals and water radically lowers the environmental impact.
Partnerships
The SDGs can only be met if we work together. International investments and support is needed to ensure innovative technological development, fair trade and market access. To build a better world, we need to be cooperative. SDG 17 of 17 aims to strengthen worldwide partnerships.
Peace
Peace is a stress-free state of tranquility, security and calmness with everything coexisting in harmony and freedom. SDG 16 of 17 aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
PFC Free
Permaculture
Combination of the words permanent and culture, permaculture is the development of agricultural ecosystems with the intention to be sustainable and self-sufficient. It uses a set of design principles centered on whole systems thinking, simulating, or utilizing the patterns observed in natural ecosystems for regenerative agriculture, rewilding, and communities.
Pesticide
Any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying or controlling pests including those used as a plant growth regulator, defoliant, desiccant, or agent for thinning fruit or preventing the premature fall of fruit, and substances applied to crops either before or after harvest to protect the commodity from deterioration during storage and transport.
PFCs (per- and poly-fluorinated chemicals) are completely man-made chemicals which do not occur naturally. They are commonly used in durable water repellent coatings and waterproof membranes but actually create a big threat to the environment as they do not degrade and therefore accumulate in humans, animals and plants. Thanks to conscious consumerism and production, there are multiple PFC free alternatives available on the market for all sorts of coatings.
Picking Cotton
Cotton balls picked from the fields and processed together in large bales.
Polyester
Plastic
One of many high-polymeric substances including both natural and synthetic products, but excluding rubbers. At some stage in its manufacture every plastic is capable of flowing, under heat and pressure, if necessary, into the desired final shape.
Being the second most demanded material in the textile industry after cotton, polyester is a man-made fiber that requires huge water & chemical consumption. Polyesters break up into micro plastics that are invisible to the naked eye, entering water channels, lungs of marine animals, eventually ending up in our systems too. Do we, really, need any more virgin plastic?
Post Consumer Waste
Planetary boundaries
Concept involving Earth system processes that contain environmental boundaries. Was proposed in 2009 by a group of Earth system and environmental scientists, led by Johan Rockström and Will Steffen. Identifies 9 global priorities relating to human-led changes to the environment. Science shows that these nine processes and systems regulate the stability and resilience of Earth - interactions of land, ocean, atmosphere and life which together provide our living conditions. 4/9 planetary boundaries have now been crossed as a result of human activity: climate change, loss of biosphere integrity, land-system change, altered biogeochemical cycles while two -climate change & biosphere integrity being defined as "core boundaries"
Post Industrial Waste
Waste generated by producers - scraps, trimmings or other by-products that never made it to the consumer phase.
Soorty owns a state of art waste recycling plant that reutilizes 40% of the cutting table waste; sending it back to spinning where produce beautiful blends of recycled content to be used in our new developments.
Made its way all over the shelves, sold, bought and no longer used post consumer waste is generated by consumers. It is a product that’s no longer wanted by its owner, probably about to end up in our planet’s precious lands as a waste. Soorty collaborates with I:CO who collects the jeans you no longer want and ships them to our mill where we recycle them, preventing them to go to landfills.
Poverty
The state of being extremely poor that your livelihood and wellbeing is under threat. SDG 1 of 17 is No Poverty and aims to fight poverty in all its forms. While the number of people living in extreme poverty dropped by more than half between 1990 and 2015, too many are still struggling for the most basic human needs.
Productivity
Measurement of how efficiently production inputs like labour & capital, are being used in an economy to produce a given level of output.
Product Stewardship
Price vs Value
As Warren Buffett's famous quotes summarizes, "Price is what you pay; value is what you get” - defining the difference between price and value is a very effective strategical basis.
Shared responsibility by all industries involved in the manufacture, distribution, use and disposal of products for the consequences; manufacturing responsibility extending to the entire life of the product.
Rainwater Harvesting
Collecting rainwater either in storages or the soil with the attempt to productivity and helping to avoid the need for infrastructure to bring water from elsewhere. The world's most sustainable denim production facility at scale, Soorty’s Denim Kind, reduces the water footprint dramatically. 85% of the water input is recycled through different techniques, and the end result is not simply okay for jean production – it is so clean the water is classified as drinkable. Washing the jeans with water of such high quality ensures the bright indigos and rich denim looks. In addition, Denim Kind captures rainwater and all the different water saving initiatives put together, it saves enough water to meet the daily water needs of 15,000 people.
Rayon
Rayon was the first regenerated cellulosic fiber after cotton; modal is known as the second generation rayon developed in early 50s and is 100% biodegradable.
At Soorty we use Lenzing’s spun-dyed modal fiber, producing fabrics in different colors with a natural comfort, smoothness and versatility.
Reclaimed Water
Water repurposed; taken from a waste (effluent) stream and purified to a level suitable for further use.
Raw Garment
State of the garment after completion of stitching or before its forwarded to laundry or dyeing facility for giving it a worn look.
Recycle
The process of taking materials ready to be thrown away and converting (changing) them into reusable materials. Not everything can be recycled - and there are different physical, biological and chemical methods of recycling different materials.
Recycled Polyester
Being the second most demanded material in the textile industry, polyester is a man-made fiber that requires huge water & chemical consumption. Soorty promotes developments with recycled spun and filament polyester verified by Global Recycle Standards.
Renewable Energy
Energy sources that can be used without depleting its reserves including sunlight (solar energy), wind, wave, biomass, geothermal and hydro energy.
Refibra™
Reborn TencelTM that utilizes industrial and post-consumer cotton/cellulose waste - i.e. left overs etc - by bringing it together with wood pulps to produce fiber.
Reforestration
Renting Clothes
With consumers are craving newness and trends but at the same time are conscious about their impact on the planet, rental and pre-owned models are growing up far bigger than traditional sale channels. Access is nowadays more valid than ownership and renting clothes is no longer a taboo as it used to be 5 years ago.
As an effective action to fight global warming, reforestation is the replanting an area with trees. In addition to benefiting the climate, it helps rebuild habitats and protect important species.
Repreve
Recycled and certified polyester made from pre-consumer or post industrial waste of plastic bottles saving
-enough energy to run a compact fluorescent light bulb for 22 days
-more than the daily drinking water need of 1 person
-the amount of GHG a hybrid car emits in 3 miles per pound.
Residual Waste
Waste that remains after the separation of recyclable materials (including green waste).
Repurpose
Adapting the use of something other than the original intention - can be done by modifying it to fit a new use, or by using the item as is in a new way.
Responsible Manufacturing
Manufacturing goods & products of economically-sound processes with minimal negative impacts on the environment, people and the future while conserving energy and natural resources. Involves embracing sustainable materials, driving transparency and traceability, turning value chain relationships into strategic partnerships and reinventing purchasing practices.
Responsible
Consumption
Achieving economic growth and sustainable development requires that we urgently reduce our ecological footprint by changing the way we produce and consume goods and resources. A large share of the world population is still consuming far too little to meet even their basic needs. SDG 12 of 17 aims to promote responsible consumption and production.
Responsible Materials
Responsible Sourcing
Ongoing demand volatility is pushing companies towards a more flexible, demand-driven sourcing model. At the same time, it is increasingly important that companies improve the efficiency and sustainability of their end to-end product development and sourcing processes - because their margins are under pressure and the search for cheaper sourcing locations is running out of steam. Responsible sourcing makes sure to question and validate source of goods bought as well as the conditions they were produced in - realizing the various different impacts they have, from labor rights to ethics and diversity, environmental impact to footprint.
Materials used through our value chain - the consumer and industrial economy - which can be produced in required volumes without depleting limited, non renewable resources and disrupting the natural balance. For example, natural and renewable materials that are carbon neutral and requiring less energy to extract instead of harmful, synthetic ones.
Reuse
No single use. The action of using any good more than once.
Retail Therapy
The sociologically defined status of the attempt of making up for things that are lacking in one’s lives by shopping.
SDGs
Second Hand
Sustainable Development Goals were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.
Selvedge
Woven in authentic old looms; selvedge derives from the self-edge of the fabric, which provides a clean finish avoiding the unraveling of fabric. Selvedge looms were popular in denim weaving until the mid-to-last 1900’s and has become a rare find in modern times as it requires an expertise.
Sliver
Preloved, owned, already used. Makes perfect sense to use second hand goods if the physical condition allows it - from cars to electronics, clothing to accessories - as it reduces the stress on environment dramatically while also contributing to economies. As consumers are nowadays craving newness but at the same time are conscious about their impact on the planet, the rental and pre-owned models in fashion are growing up far bigger than traditional sale channels.
Sewing
Stitching, attaching and bringing pieces of fabrics together - to make garments or other items. A pair of jeans can consist of up to 15 pattern pieces. These pieces are forwarded to a sewing line, where they are sewn together to complete the stitching process & make jeans.
Loose, untwisted strands produced by carding that separates the raw fibers as a preparation for spinning. Later, any short fiber is removed by combing; leaving the fibers in the sliver parallel. Several slivers are elongated by drawing, straightening the strand.
Slow Food
Slow Fashion
As an awareness and approach to fashion, slow fashion is designing, creating, and buying garments for quality and longevity. It encourages slower production schedules, fair wages, ethical production conditions, lower carbon footprints, and (ideally) zero waste.
The movement found in Italy in 1986 by Carlo Petrini as a response to the negative impact of multinational food industries. Slow Food is a counteracting force to Fast Food as it encourages using local seasonal produce, restoring time-honoring methods of production and preparation, and sharing food at communal tables; encouraging environmentally sustainable production, ethical treatment of animals and social justice. Slow Food members seek to defend biodiversity in our food supply, to better appreciate how our lives can be improved by understanding the sensation of taste, and to celebrate the connection between plate and planet.
Slow Cities
Following the success of the slow food movement, slow cities - i.e. Citta Slow - is a movement born in 1999 in Chianti, Italy with the idea of thinking of a different way of development based on improving the life quality by slowing down its overall pace, especially in a city's use of spaces and the flow of life and traffic through them.
Smart Indigo
Indigo cannot attach to cotton naturally and needs to be reduced for dyeing. Conventionally this is done by methods where indigo is reduced to leuco indigo - which incorporates the use of chemicals that create a big threat to life in and below water as well as generating heavy stress on lands.
Soorty has invested in the Smart Indigo technology by which own liquid indigo is reduced using no chemicals but electricity instead. Hence the waste water discharged does not contained the chemicals that is alarming and cautionary for both the land we live on and the water channels that is home to life and livelihood of billions.
Social & Labor Convergence Program (SLCP)
A multi-stakeholder program aiming to improve the working conditions in the global apparel and footwear sectors with a focus on child labor, forced labor, occupational health, safety and wages. Soorty is a proud signatory of the SLCP.
Soil Acidification
Reduction in pH in soil. Can result in poorly structured or hard-setting topsoils that cannot support sufficient vegetation to prevent erosion.
Social Capital
The collective value of all social networks; the links and shared values in society that enable individuals and groups to work together.
Solar Panels
As a tool for clean energy, solar panels absorb sun rays, collect the solar cells and convert them into electricity or heat.
Solar Energy
The radiant energy of the Sun, which can be converted into other forms of energy, such as heat or electricity. Soorty’s future proof garment manufacturing facility, the Denim Kind captures 90% of the sunlight via solar panels powering up the sewing floor - a radically energy intensive stage in garment manufacturing - and reduces energy consumption by 35%.
Solar Power
Electricity generated from solar radiation.
Stakeholders
Parties having an interest in a particular project or outcome.
Sustainability
The capacity to endure, continue - A sustainable business is generates profits to ensure its business will be sustained, while improving social and environmental conditions.
Spinning
Loose, untwisted strands produced by carding that separates the raw fibers as a preparation for spinning. Later, any short fiber is removed by combing; leaving the fibers in the sliver parallel. Several slivers are elongated by drawing, straightening the strand.
Supply Chain
Network of companies, entities, suppliers and initiatives to produce and distribute a product to its final buyer. Includes different activities, people, practices, information, and resources. The supply chain represents the steps it takes to get a product/service from its original state to the customer.
Sustainable Consumption
Sustainable resource use - a change to society's historical patterns of consumption and behavior that enables consumers to satisfy their needs with better performing products or services that use fewer resources, cause less pollution and contribute to social progress worldwide.
Sustainable Cities
Sustainable Fashion
Designed with urban sustainability principles of social, economic, environmental impact, sustainable cities are aim minimizing their inputs of energy, water, food, waste and output of heat, air pollution and water pollution.
Environmentally friendly and responsible practices within the fashion industry, by embracing designing, producing and consuming clothes consciously, utilizing methods and materials that respect our planet, and therefore sustaining the environment.
Sustainable Design
Designing goods, products, services or the built environment in keeping with principles of sustainability.
Synthetic
"Not natural. Product of chemical synthesis, generally to imitate a natural product or to create a new fiber with unique properties."
Sustainable Manufacturing
The only way forward. Manufacturing that is responsible enough to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Tencel™
Lenzing’s 100% biodegradable and compostable, man-made cellulosic fiber of botanic origin coming from eucalyptus wood pulps produced in a closed loop technology. Brings along a very smooth and soft hand feel, shine and versatility.
Traceability
The ability to trace products and their components back through each step of the supply chain, all the way to raw materials covering aspects like origins, conditions, people involved in the value chain and their working conditions.
Trans-seasonal
Timeless pieces that are not hits of a season or period but are transcendent of seasons. Made with high quality materials and manufacturing methods, longevity echoes with sustainability in these key pieces that last longer and save money for the customers by becoming an everyday essential of their wardrobes.
Triox
Transparency
Being upfront and honest with customers to build trustable, long lasting bonds. With the age of internet, and ease of accessing data, consumers demand transparent information from the brands they purchase from - whether it is on how their goods are made, the working conditions for employees, the sourcing journey, the environmental impact of their operations… they want to be in the know how. Transparency is a must for todays conscious consumer, who can access data anyhow.
Eco efficient finishing that takes air from its surroundings & transforms it into ozone, liberating the particles inside the tumbler. This is accomplished in a zero discharge of chemicals & side benefits include; - improved laser effects - good for raw denim - no caustic use - shade unification & flatter look without mercerization - better crocking fastness, cast of color & less back staining"
Umorfil Beauty Fiber®
Viscose diffused with collagen peptides - the amino acids essential for a healthy skin’s youth and moisture. Repurposing fish scales that would cause acidification of the soil if abandoned; making the fiber not only beautiful for the wearer’s skin but also for our planet.
UN Global Compact
A non-binding United Nations pact to encourage businesses worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies, and to report on their implementation.
United Nations
Upcycle
Reusing discarded objects, left overs and no longer favored materials in a new way to create a product of high quality, value or ownership than the original and hence reducing the stress on landfills.
An international organization based in New York and formed to promote international peace, security, and cooperation under a charter signed by 51 founding countries in San Francisco in 1945
Value Chain
A series of activities that a business performs in order to deliver a valuable product or service for the market. It is similar to a supply chain in principle, but focuses on the key points that generate value for a business.
Vertical Integration
A strategy whereby a company owns its suppliers and distributors to monitor and manage its supply chain. Vertical Integration benefits companies by allowing them to control the process, reduce costs, and improve efficiencies.
Value Creation
Virgin Cotton
Making a promise of value to be delivered applied to products, services or an entire organization.
Raw, fresh cotton from the field. Needs to be picked, ginned, transported and spun into a yarn to be utilized in textile production. Cotton is a resource-intense crop in terms of water, pesticides and insecticides. Using recycled cotton can help save natural resources and reduce pollution significantly. Recycling 1T of cotton can save 765 m3 of water.
Value-added
An enhancement on a product or service during production, manufacturing or marketing - before offering to customers - which helps raise the value & can return as increased benefits and added profit margins.
Washed Garment
Different washes can be applied to the garment according to the final look, comfort level and touch desired. While raw denim lovers are considerable in numbers, garments are generally washed before retail distribution. Main advantages include preventing the unwanted shrinkage and bleeding of the fabric.
Waste Analysis
The quantifying of different waste streams, recording and detailing of it as a proportion of the total waste stream, determining its destination and recording details of waste practices.
Waste Management
Waste
Practices and procedures that relate to how the waste is dealt with.
Any material (liquid, solid or gas) produced by households or commercial, institutional, municipal or industrial organizations, that cannot be collected and recycled any way for further use. For solid wastes, sadly, this involves materials that currently go to landfills, even though some of the material is potentially recyclable.
Waste Water Treatment
Designed to treat the industrial waste water for its reuse or safe disposal, our ETP plant ensures that all the water leaving the process is cleaned before safely removed to the environment. Treating the process water allows us to re-use 220,000 gallons per day.
Waste Management Hierarchy
A concept promoting waste avoidance ahead of recycling and disposal, often referred in education campaigns as 'reduce, reuse, recycle.' The waste hierarchy was recognized in the Environment Protection Act 1970, promoting management of wastes in the order of preference: avoidance, reuse, recycling, recovery of energy, treatment, containment, disposal.
Waste Reduction
Water Footprint
Measures to reduce the amount of waste generated by an individual, household or organisation.
Total freshwater required in a given period to perform a particular task or to produce a given good/service. The world's most sustainable denim production facility at scale, Soorty’s Denim Kind, reduces the water footprint dramatically. 85% of the water input is recycled through different techniques, and the end result is not simply okay for jean production – it is so clean the water is classified as drinkable. Washing the jeans with water of such high quality ensures the bright indigos and rich denim looks. In addition, Denim Kind captures rainwater and all the different water saving initiatives put together, it saves enough water to meet the daily water needs of 15,000 people.
Water Scarcity
With no measurements taken, the textile industry can be a threat to a healthy marine life and fresh water resources considering the waste water and micro plastics it generates. This is a list of initiatives you can take for a brighter future, in comparison with conventional techniques; chemicals and dyes that cause the waste water to be dirty.
Water Free
With no measurements taken, the textile industry can be a threat to a healthy marine life and fresh water resources considering the waste water and micro plastics it generates. An environmentally conscious mindset and innovative approach at the core enables designing and implementing water free processes and applications, reducing the stress on our planet’s water resources.
Water Treatment
The process of converting raw untreated water to a public water supply safe for human consumption.
Wind Energy
Kinetic energy present in the motion of the wind. Can be converted into mechanical or electrical energy.
Weaving
The craft of producing fabric by interlacing the warp and the weft in a defined composition so they cross one another.
X Water
Soorty’s PFC free finish for water repellency resourced from renewable materials that offers a consistent performance with high durability (3 times more compared to conventional methods) and a minimum environmental impact.
Zero Discharge Of Hazardous Chemicals
Started in 2011 as a response to the Greenpeace DeTox campaign, ZDHC is a group of apparel and footwear brands and retailers working together to lead the global textile industry towards zero discharge of hazardous chemicals with regards to output control - like waste water - to natural resources like water, land.
Zero Waste
Turning waste into resources. The redesign of resource-use so that waste can ultimately be reduced to zero; ensuring that by-products are used elsewhere and goods are recycled, in emulation of the cycling of wastes in nature.
Zero Waste Water
Vertical sustainability enhanced by innovative technology designed for conscious water use. The design avoids the use of pre-washer and post-washer tanks, saving up to 90% of the waste water. - i.e. conventional figures 14.75 L/m vs ZWW 1.5 L/m