Jeanologia has urged the denim industry to accelerate the elimination of potassium permanganate (PP) spray following its official inclusion in the Chemical Watchlist of the ZDHC Foundation. The move signals heightened scrutiny of one of the most hazardous chemicals still used in denim finishing.
Potassium permanganate is widely applied to create localized vintage effects in denim. However, the chemical poses significant occupational health risks, exposing workers to micro-particles during spraying and contributing to environmental impact across production facilities.
Industry Shift Toward Safer Alternatives
Jeanologia said the Watchlist inclusion confirms a shift the company anticipated more than a decade ago. In 2015, it eliminated the need for PP spray in its processes, becoming the first technology provider to offer a scalable industrial alternative through laser-based finishing.
Today, the company replaces PP spray using its laser technology with the Light Bright tool, combined with G2 Ozone technology. According to Jeanologia, the solution delivers authentic vintage aesthetics without chemical spraying, offering digital precision, improved worker safety and consistent industrial performance.
EIM Data Highlights Ongoing Risk
The company’s Environmental Impact Measuring (EIM) platform reinforces the call for change. In its Innovations and Challenges in Denim Finishing 2024 report, EIM identifies potassium permanganate as one of the remaining high-risk processes in garment finishing and emphasizes the urgency of adopting safer technologies.
Jeanologia stated that millions of workers globally remain exposed to PP spray processes, despite the availability of alternatives.
“PP spray belongs to the past. This is not about compliance; it’s about protecting people and transforming the way denim is made,” said Carmen Silla, Global Marketing Director at Jeanologia. She added that scalable solutions already exist and called on the industry to move decisively toward chemical-free finishing.
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Growing Pressure from ESG and Transparency Standards
Over the past decade, Jeanologia has progressively replaced hazardous denim finishing techniques—including sandblasting, stone washing and manual scraping—with eco-efficient technologies. Its laser and G2 Ozone systems are now implemented worldwide, enabling brands to reduce chemical use and water consumption while maintaining design quality.
As ESG reporting requirements and chemical management standards continue to tighten globally, early adoption of safer technologies is increasingly viewed as a competitive advantage.
Jeanologia has called on brands, laundries and manufacturers to accelerate the transition away from PP spray, arguing that the technological pathway toward cleaner and safer denim production is already available at scale.
