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Dyeing/​Finishing/​Printing

Eliminating a dirty denim process

Potassium permanganate remains widely used for delivering worn, vintage effects at low cost.

7th July 2025

Innovation in Textiles
 |  Italy

Clothing/​Footwear, Sustainable

After being previewed at key industry events like Kingpins Amsterdam and Denim Première Vision Milan and following the success of several industrial-scale trials, Italy’s Officina39 is officially launching ZeroPP/All.In – a process for replacing the use of potassium permanganate (PP) in denim finishing.

Despite its well-documented toxicity and environmental risks, PP remains widely used for its ability to deliver worn, vintage effects at low cost. Finding a viable replacement has been a key challenge for the industry until now.

In a simplified process, the ZeroPP/All.In formula can be applied directly onto raw denim garments by spray or nebulization followed by immediate laser marking to define graphics or wear patterns.

This is followed by dry ozone treatment immediately after the laser marking without rinsing. The ozone reacts with the laser-marked areas to replicate the typical indigo corrosion of PP.

Following final washes and finishing the garment is market ready.

This one-cycle process reduces time, energy and water consumption, while enhancing safety, transparency and creative control, enabling brands and laundries to transition away from hazardous legacy practices.

“ZeroPP/All.In represents the fulfilment of a path we began years ago,” says Officina39 MD Andrea Venier. “Through continuous refinement, real-world testing and feedback from our customers and partners, we’ve achieved a true turning point. The result is a streamlined, single-product process applied directly to raw garments, finally making the full replacement of potassium permanganate both sustainable and industrially viable.”

www.officina39.com

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