Mavi, the global jeans brand from Turkey, was recently included in CDP’s 2022 Climate Change A List.
As only 283 of the 20,000 companies worldwide that responded to the CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) Global, and as the only Turkish apparel brand listed, Mavi explained The SPIN OFF how it achieved this acknowledgment and why considers itself engaged in pursuing always new goals in fighting climate change.
Mavi was listed in the CDP 2022 Climate Change A List recently. COuld you tell us more about it?
Mavi is the first and only apparel brand from Turkey to be included in the 2022 Climate Change A List, announced by CDP, the world's largest environmental disclosure platform.
Only 283 of the 20,000 companies worldwide that respond to CDP, which aims to change how businesses operate to mitigate the impacts of climate change, made the A List this year, becoming the climate leaders of 2022.
When did Mavi start strengthening its commitment to follow a sustainable strategy?
Starting from 2020 Mavi accelerated its sustainability efforts, starting to drive its vision of industry leadership to encompass sustainability. Mavi’s sustainability strategy was developed to respond to the global trends that guide the textiles industry and to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Therefore, we defined our sustainability strategy “All Blue. All Better. For All.” and identified the areas where we create value and our goals.
We believe that a better world is possible with a better Mavi. On this journey to achieve the best, while quality remains at the heart of what we do, Mavi’s sustainability approach is based on four pillars: People, Planet, Denim, and Community.
Can you tell us more in details about these pillars?
Speaking about “People”, our transformation for a better future begins in our value chain, and we fulfill our responsibility for providing fair living and working conditions for our employees, suppliers, and business partners.
As a denim-centric brand, we see the protection and restoration of what nature offers us, therefore speaking about our “Planet” pillar, as a fundamental responsibility. For these reasons, we promote a net-zero business model by tackling the climate crisis to protect natural resources and restore the ecosystem.
Also the "Community" aspect is very important as we are particularly focused on empowering young people and women for social development so that no one is left behind. Therefore, we involve our customers and other stakeholders in this movement.
What are Mavi’s future targets?
We have set different goals for the future. For instance, we aim to operate through a fully inclusive and responsible value chain by 2030.
We also have set the target to become carbon-neutral by 2040, and a climate-positive company by 2050, while we aim to ensure that our whole denim collection consists of sustainable All Blue products by 2030.
Yes, it does. Mavi’s first sustainability report for the year 2020 was published in 2021. We believe that the best denim is sustainable denim and continue to invest more in R&D and product development processes.
What are Mavi’s most sustainable strategies in terms of product?
With 30 years of expertise in the denim industry, Mavi’s vision has always been to create an exceptionally perfect pair of jeans, in both fit and quality, using less water and energy. We call this approach and our sustainable collection All Blue.
With our All Blue collection, we consume less energy, water, and chemicals and prefer to use sustainable materials, driving denim innovation in the industry.
Can you explain more in detail what the All Blue collection is about?
The sustainable fiber content in the fabrics we use is shaped around Mavi's quality focus, design approach, and product performance specifications.
Our Mavi’s All Blue collection uses sustainable organic, recycled or Better Cotton and recycled polyester, along with Tencel, modal and lyocell, cottonised hemp, and upcycled materials.
What are Mavi’s most responsible strategies in terms of process?
The All Blue products contain sustainable fibers and are made with efficient technologies that consume less water and energy than conventional production techniques. Mavi collaborates with its strategic partners Erak and Tayeks to use E-Flow technology to reduce water, energy and chemicals consumption.
The use of laser technology guarantees product standards, reduces the use of chemicals and protects the health of the employees. Moreover, an automated dosing system helps us to eliminate faulty and excessive use of chemicals in washing due to manual processes. Environmental impact measurement methods such as EIM Score and LCA are also used to assess these processes.
Not less important are the facts that our products are 100% vegan and our labels are made from recycled paper.
What do sustainable products mean for Mavi in terms of revenues?
The sales of the sustainable All Blue products accounted for 14% of total revenues in 2022. As every year, Mavi introduces further sustainable innovations, we can expect an increase of this percentage.
Our Natural Dye collection, for instance, uses natural clay-based colorants and ratios to achieve its signature earthy colors. Clay is an inherently occurring material and its unique crystal structure is non-toxic, UV resistant and antibacterial.
Garments are also outfitted with bio-based nutshell buttons, back patches are made from bio-based olive seeds and woven labels, and threads made from recycled materials. The collection’s paper-based labels are recyclable and contain basil seeds that can be planted.
While our Recycled Blue new women's jeans collection incorporates Tencel with Refibra technology, our Pro Dark Tech is a new rinse wash jean made with recycled polyester that doesn't fade.
You said that Mavi focused on circularity. Is there any specific project it focused on?
Our Mavi Upcycle collection was created to bring back denim and non-denim products from the company’s archives to life by upcycling them for today’s fashion. Made with fabrics from different products, each piece is unique, genderless and sizeless.
Offered in select stores, the collection interprets tonal and textural variations with color blocking and draws attention with youth codes blended with streetwear. Additionally, the hang tags of this product group are made from packaging waste, too.
Was Mavi somehow damaged by the earthquake?
We are deeply saddened by the earthquake that devastated eleven provinces in Turkey. As the Mavi Family, meeting the most pressing needs of our communities, employees, franchisees suppliers, and all living creatures remains our top priority. We are working to heal the wounds together, in coordination with public institutions and civil society organizations. We will continue to stand by our employees, business partners, and the community until life returns to normal in the affected regions.
Did you close your companies because of the earthquake?
From a corporate perspective, we are also addressing our own challenges. Following the implementation of appropriate safety protocols, we have commenced reopening our sales points in the earthquake zone, 32 of which had previously suspended operations.
Mavi is a company that makes global sourcing 80% of which is in Turkey, and some of our manufacturers and suppliers are based in the earthquake region. We are doing our best to help them to recover as fast as possible. Accordingly, we support the constructions of temporary shelters for workers in the organized industrial sites, together with other textile brands and sectorial organizations, in order to prevent migration as the production can be continued.
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