Despite it being a challenging period for denim, Candiani Denim remains committed to investing in sustainability and innovative materials.
In a new 2024 sustainability report, the Italian mill details new protocols and partnerships that align with its goals to reduce the environmental impact of its manufacturing and products.
“In this environment, price has often become the dominant factor in purchasing decisions, leading many companies, across both fast fashion and premium sectors, to reduce or abandon their investments in sustainable and innovative materials in favor of cheaper alternatives,” Alberto Candiani, president of Candiani Denim, stated in the report.
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“At Candiani, however, we have chosen a different path. We remain deeply committed to sustainable innovation and continuous improvement in our processes and efficiency. We believe that true value lies not just in creating denim that is beautiful or high-performing, but in producing fabrics that are cleaner, eco-compatible, and respectful of our planet. This conviction drives every decision we make and every product we develop,” he added.
Transparency and data are key to the Milanese mill’s vision. In 2024, the Coreva innovator adopted the Sustainable Brand Platform (SBP) to collect reliable performance data, enhance its environmental impact, and ensure advanced supply chain traceability and transparency.
Manufacturers using SBP become strategic partners in sustainability, capable of embedding environmental metrics into both operational and long-term business planning, according to the report. The platform automates Corporate Carbon Footprint and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) calculations. It notifies partners of inefficiencies, identifies high-emission or resource-intensive stages of production and provides detailed environmental performance data that can be shared with clients and stakeholders,
Additionally, SBP is aligned with European regulatory frameworks including the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive and the upcoming Digital Product Passport. Candiani underscores how this strengthens its position ahead of compliance deadlines, while simultaneously reducing the administrative burden of manual data reporting.
Candiani is taking steps to improve its chemical management practices with a new internal screening and storage.
Before approving a new chemical product, the mill reviews its safety data sheet to ensure it complies with voluntary standards like GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) and ZDHC’s MRSL (Manufacturing Restricted Substance List). Additionally, Candiani only purchases and uses chemicals that conform to Levi’s Restricted Substances List.
Upon arrival at the mill, chemicals are entered into the new chemical management portal, labeled with product, lot, and expiry date, and stored in Candiani’s warehouse. When needed for production, the required quantity is deducted, allowing real-time tracking of our chemical inventory.
The report noted that chemical products are also uploaded on ZDHC’s CleanChain and an InCheck report is created. Inventory is updated every three months.
After becoming the first company certified according to Regenagri’s Chain of Custody standard in 2021, Candiani remains focused on supporting regenerative agriculture. Regenerative cotton now represents 30 percent of the mill’s production, with projections to exceed 40 percent in 2025.
Building on its past practices, Candiani reported that it will continue to focus on main strategic sustainability goals and work to improve profitability. Allocating an annual budget for innovation and R&D, enhancing raw material traceability, and maintaining an up-to-date product catalog on the Product DNA platform, which specializes in supply chain mapping and blockchain-based product traceability, are key priorities for the mill.
“We want to offer our clients an easy way to verify the quality and origin of the fabrics they’re sourcing from Candiani. Those interested in knowing where materials come from can access a virtual map that traces the entire supply chain. Understanding sourcing locations helps to reduce the risk of, or even prevent, environmental pollution and human rights violations,” the mill stated.
Ongoing goals related to the business practices include monitoring the supply chain with second-party audits, increasing the frequency of audits, investing in expert consultants and training two internal figures to become auditors. Additionally, the mill plans to instill transparency and anti-corruption training for at-risk functions, managers and relevant administrative employees.
