Recover™
We’ve partnered with Recover™ to break down textile waste from landfills and turn it into Recover™ recycled cotton fibers to create your new favorite pair of jeans.
OUR STORY
At DL1961, we aim to source responsibly, manufacture sustainably, and design intentionally. With our roots in vertical integration and a network of like-minded facilities, we bring you the best possible combination of fabric, fit, and function.
Factory
All our denim — from fiber to finished garment — is manufactured in our family-owned factory. By overseeing the entire process, we can focus on traceable and scalable practices that minimize environmental impact without compromising on quality. We strive to constantly invest in innovative sustainable technologies and audit at each stage of the process.
With our roots in vertical integration, we’ve established a network of like-minded facilities to expand our range of wardrobe essentials. These highly-vetted manufacturers are responsible for the industry-leading knits and wovens you love.
FIBER TECHNOLOGIES
Our goal is to design the best pieces for both you and our planet. Your favorite jeans, tops, and outerwear are made from recycled, renewable, and regenerative materials that are good for the environment—and your wardrobe.
Certified & Organic Cotton Varieties
In addition to our RecoverTM recycled cotton, we use cotton certified from the Better Cotton Institute and Cotton USA™.
Tencel™ Lyocell
The ultra-soft fabrics you know and love are made with Tencel™ Lyocell, a botanic fiber made from beech tree wood. It’s known for softness and breathability, and is 100% biodegradable. Its ultra-absorbent qualities help us use less dye, water, and energy in the manufacturing process.
REPREVE® Our Ocean™
Select knitwear pieces are made using this super comfortable and special fiber derived from post-consumer plastic bottles. They’ve been diverted from landfills where they’re at high risk of entering the ocean to be fashioned into cozy knits that bring you warmth, comfort, and peace of mind.
PROCESS - 5 Steps to create a 1-stop-solution from fiber → Finish
Our family owned factory is the only factory in the world that completes the Fiber and Spinning processes. That means we audit for quality and efficiency at every stage of the process -- so you can always feel good about your clothes.
Sort The Scraps
Sort the textile waste we receive (recycled & new) into different classes (poly, denim, etc.)
Cut & Extract
Large pieces of textile waste are cut into smaller ones. We remove all nontextile materials from clothing (thanks to an efficient automated extraction process).
Decolorize
Decolorize it and strip it down to a natural base.
Treatment
Textile waste is treated with an antistatic spray using very little water to prepare the clips for the final step of the process natural base.
Shredding
The small pieces of textile waste are uniquely processed inside the shredding machine. The machine optimization formula is proprietary and exclusively used by Recover™.
Packing
Recover™ fiber is ready to be combined with certified cotton and other fibers to make all your favorite fabrics.
PROCESS
Our family owned factory is the only factory in the world that completes the Fiber and Spinning processes. That means we audit for quality and efficiency at every stage of the process -- so you can always feel good about your clothes.
1
Cotton Recycling
Sort The Scraps
Sort the textile waste we receive (recycled & new) into different classes (poly, denim, etc.)
Cut & Extract
Large pieces of textile waste are cut into smaller ones. We remove all nontextile materials from clothing (thanks to an efficient automated extraction process).
Decolorize
Decolorize it and strip it down to a natural base.
Treatment
Textile waste is treated with an antistatic spray using very little water to prepare the clips for the final step of the process natural base.
Shredding
The small pieces of textile waste are uniquely processed inside the shredding machine. The machine optimization formula is proprietary and exclusively used by Recover™.
Packing
Recover™ fiber is ready to be combined with certified cotton and other fibers to make all your favorite fabrics.
2
SPINNING
Quality fabrics start at the yarn level. We combine a variety of low-impact fibers and spin them into best-in-class yarns optimized for durability, softness, breathability, stretch, or a combination of these qualities. We pride ourselves on being first to market with innovative blends that increase value and reduce impact.
3
WEAVING
After the yarns are spun, they are quality checked and moved into our large-format weaving machines. We’re constantly innovating new weave patterns and yarn combinations to deliver superior denim fabrications that evolve with changing customer needs and stand the test of time.
4
CUTTING & SEWING
High-tech software ensures minimal fabric waste in the cutting process. Stitching is done by hand in fair, safeworking conditions.
5
DYEING & FINISHING
In what can be the most wasteful step of the manufacturing process, we take several measures to ensure a drastically reduced impact while maintaining a high-end finish and attention to detail.
DYES
Our denim is made using Dystar Liquid Indigo, a prereduced dye that needs less water and minimizes harmful byproducts. It’s made of just three ingredients: indigo, soda, and water.
WATERLESS LASER AND OZONE MACHINES
We create your favorite vintage-inspired denim character without the harmful chemicals. Laser and Ozone technologies are both completely waterless processes that remove excess indigo to create the vintage look you love, as well as authentic details. Both employ a dramatically lower footprint than traditional washing techniques
SUSTAINABLE FACTORY
We are committed to a sustainable future for people and the planet through our products and our process. We believe we have the power to help shape the future of the global denim market by sourcing responsibly, manufacturing sustainably, and designing intentionally.
WATER
ENERGY
ZDHC
EMPLOYEE STANDARD
Water
Denim is a notoriously wasteful industry that requires excessive amounts of water. We’ve made it our goal for decades to constantly invest in innovative, sustainable technologies that help reduce our water footprint.
We pioneered the inclusion of ultraabsorbent fibers, waterless processes, and low-impact dyes in our manufacturing and continue to audit at every stage of the process. That’s why our jeans only require 10 gallons of water on average to produce, versus the industry standard of 1500.
In addition, we treat and recycle 98% of the water we do use, equaling up to 2,700 gallons per day. That’s over 80,000 gallons per month and over 1 million gallons per year. After it’s used in the manufacturing process, water is funneled into our in-house water treatment plant, where a special bacteria eats the indigo dye so the water is safe to return to municipal drains.
Fossil energy is one of the biggest resources used in denim production—but not for us. We’ve designed our factory to be as sustainable and low impact as possible by using solar panels and heat regeneration.
Our factory’s solar panels generate 200 kilowatts of power, in conjunction with our self-powered energy generation capacity of 15 megawatts. Plus, our factory’s in-house power plant is self-generating, using heat recovery from the manufacturing process to power itself.
ENERGY
We are committed to a sustainable future for people and the planet through our products and our process. We believe we have the power to help shape the future of the global denim market by sourcing responsibly, manufacturing sustainably, and designing intentionally.
ZDHC
Our chemical management system is certified by ZDHC in accordance to their Road Map to Zero guidelines, ensuring ethical and safe processes that eliminate harmful chemicals from the supply chain process.
EMPLOYEE STANDARD
Our factory is fully compliant with international social, ethical, and environmental standards. We maintain positive working conditions, living wages, and balanced working hours.
Our factory has also already secured — and will continue to maintain — the following certifications for all of the aforementioned and 100% circularity: BSCI, WRAP, Sedex, Higg FSLM(SLCP), and Better Work.
TRACEABILITY
As part of The Climate Pledge, we produce a yearly impact report, using methodical tracking from the fiber level to the finished product.
Our factory’s tracing efforts are powered by EIM, or Environmental
Impact Measurement, software -- a unique and powerful platform
developed to monitor environmental impact of the garment
finishing
processes.
CARBON FOOTPRINT
The apparel industry is a significant contributor to the exploitation of natural resources and environmental degradation. By joining The Climate Pledge, we’ve made the bold commitment to reduce our carbon emissions to net-zero by 2040.
2026
By 2026, we aim to be climate-positive, offsetting more carbon emissions than our footprint.
2030
By 2030, we aim to reduce our global carbon footprint by 50% through reducing air freight.
2040
By 2040, we aim to have a global carbon footprint of net-zero.
By 2026, we aim to be climate-positive, offsetting more carbon emissions than our footprint.
By 2030, we aim to reduce our global carbon footprint by 50% through reducing air freight.
By 2040, we aim to have a global carbon footprint of net-zero.