By working with top international companies, SAITEX, a leader in circular manufacturing, hopes to establish standards for environmentally friendly denim production. Their progress is transparently described in this year’s impact report, which also outlines future initiatives and contextualises data to indicate areas for improvement. With an emphasis on environmental stewardship and social empowerment, it offers significant turning points in its regenerative methods, the use of cutting-edge technology, and inventions that turn waste into useful goods.
“We at SAITEX support open and honest accountability. Progress requires us to share our effect, both positive and bad. Setting high standards and making constant improvements when we fail are essential to our development as a circular system, according to CEO Sanjeev Bahl.
Since its founding in 2001, SAITEX has been human-centric and purpose-driven, dedicated to advancing social and environmental practices in the apparel manufacturing industry. Celebrated as “The World’s Cleanest Denim Factory” by Bloomberg, SAITEX has become a global benchmark for responsible and sustainable manufacturing. Over the years, the organization has evolved into an ecosystem that now includes:
- SAITEX Apparel Manufacturing in Vietnam (2006) – sustainable denim at scale
- SAITEX Los Angeles in USA (2021) – designed to address style trends with speed to market
- SAITEX Mill – clean denim fabric spinning facility in Vietnam (2022)
- STELAPOP – a division upcycling waste into consumer products (2019)
- Inclusive workforce initiative REKUT (2019)
- Denim Upcycling project Atelier & Repairs (2021)
At SAITEX, cutting-edge technology and human creativity form the backbone of operations, integrating Industry 4.0 advancements like AI, machine learning, IoT, RFID, robotics, and cloud computing. This smart factory approach enhances Speed-to-Market (STM), transparency, and traceability—key pillars of sustainability and circularity. Through a vertically integrated ecosystem and ongoing Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) in partnership with Ecochain since 2019, SAITEX maps its operations, enabling data-driven decisions that drive continuous improvement, accountability, and solutions for a sustainable future.
Partnering with leading global brands such as G-Star, Everlane, J.Crew, Madewell, Zara, A.P.C., IKEA, and Polo Ralph Lauren, SAITEX produces high-quality denim and apparel while consistently pushing the boundaries of responsible production. SAITEX also actively engages with certifying bodies, including bluesign®, GOTS, GRS, regenagri®, OEKO-TEX®, and C2CPII, to ensure adherence to the highest standards of sustainability and accountability.
After reviewing the impact report, I’d be happy to connect you with Sanjeev Bahl, CEO of SAITEX, for further insights or an interview to explore how SAITEX is transforming into the factory of the future.
KEY INSIGHTS FROM SAITEX 2023 IMPACT REPORT
- By 2023, SAITEX Mill in Vietnam achieved a milestone in which 25% of all fabrics produced by the facility were Cradle to Cradle Certified® Gold denim. These fabrics are created with substantial reductions in CO2 emissions, energy usage, and water consumption, enabling brands to produce cleaner denim sustainably—all under one roof.
- Since 2021, SAITEX has been the only mill in Vietnam equipped with Smart-Indigo™ technology. After 2 years of implementation, this has reached the milestone of reduced CO2 emissions by 90%, energy use by 70%, and water consumption by 30%, marking a significant leap for SAITEX in clean denim manufacturing.
- By 2023, SAITEX’s REKUT program successfully integrated 98% of employees from marginalized backgrounds into garment production across all categories, exemplifying CEO Sanjeev Bahl’s dedication to inclusivity and equity.