Sandblasted jeans: should we give up distressed denim?

[Pablo-T]

As people interested might know:

1: distressed jeans have caused major pollution, via water run-off polluting rivers in China and other countries
2: distressing jeans is immensely wasteful of energy, thanks to the use of dryers etc

and now, 3: there is good evidence to show sandblasted jeans are responsible for a new wave of silicosis

 

[Timbaland]

Wearing those white masks taht cover the nose and mouth don't protect against the silicosis? Anyways, the large majority of people on here wear raw denim so we aren't contributing to this problem. I won't buy any sandblasted jeans.

 

[wispa]

Wearing those white masks taht cover the nose and mouth don't protect against the silicosis? Anyways, the large majority of people on here wear raw denim so we aren't contributing to this problem. I won't buy any sandblasted jeans.

I'm no sandblasting expert but I wouldn't think so. Those cheap masks don't really protect the wearer from much in an sandblasting environment. Fine particles, including germs, can get through them in a highly contaminated area. You'd want a properly fitted charcoal filter mask at minimum and if you want to be really safe, a respirator.

I'm not sure how the conditions are in China, but normally items are sandblasted in an enclosed container. Still, at some point that container has to be opened and I wouldn't want to be the person to be doing that all year long.

 

[Fycus]

A good amount of jeans aren't sandblasted anymore with the exception of a few companies. Most are moving to mechanical means of distressing. While it may still have an effect on an environment, don't most manufacturing operations?