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In a converted East London church, LaundRe has opened what it describes as the UK\u2019s first industrial\u2011scale denim laundry, using low\u2011water, low\u2011chemical technologies and lasers to sanitise, rework and upcycle jeans \u2014 though ozone safety and independent verification remain unresolved.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
In a converted East London church a low-profile industrial revolution is quietly under way: LaundRe, a 5,000 sq ft finishing hub, has opened what its founders describe as the UK\u2019s first industrial-scale denim laundry using a suite of low-water, low-chemical finishing technologies. According to the company, the site combines reworked industrial machinery with design expertise to offer brands a nearshore alternative for finishing, sanitising and reworking denim that would otherwise risk being incinerated or sent abroad. The operation presents itself as both a production facility and an education centre aimed at cutting the carbon, water and waste footprint of a notoriously resource-intensive segment of fashion. (This description is based on a site visit reported by Sustainable Times and the company profile in UKFT.)<\/p>\n
Salli Deighton, co\u2011founder and chief executive, and Rowan Hunt, chief technology officer, lead the project. Speaking to Sustainable Times during a tour of the facility, Deighton described how the founders transformed a \u201cfilthy old church\u201d into a working showroom and lab \u2014 reusing carpets and fittings where possible and salvaging garments to demonstrate the lifecycle they want to change. The pair draw on decades of experience at major denim brands and say that first\u2011hand factory visits informed their belief that onsite, flexible finishing could preserve value in unsold stock and shorten supply chains. The company argues that nearshoring finishing reduces emissions from shipping and avoids the destruction or export of unsold garments. (Account of the founders and the showroom comes from the Sustainable Times feature; the nearshoring case is echoed in UKFT.)<\/p>\n
At the core of LaundRe\u2019s offer are machines and processes positioned as alternatives to traditional, high\u2011impact washes. On the shop floor the team demonstrates a \u201crainforest\u201d washer that wets garments with a continuous, low\u2011volume spray rather than full immersion; nebulising systems that deliver misted treatments using only a few litres of water per load; laser finishing for surface effects such as whiskers and fades; and an ozone chamber that the company uses for bleaching, sterilisation and refreshing of denim without conventional water or chemical baths. Jeanologia, a supplier of comparable industrial systems, describes ozone\u2011based \u201cair washing\u201d equipment and nanobubble e\u2011flow technologies that can produce reproducible finishes with near\u2011zero discharge \u2014 technologies the industry now markets as ways to cut water, pumice and chemical use. UKFT\u2019s profile of LaundRe adds that the site is capable of finishing up to 250,000 pairs a year, illustrating the business case for localised finishing capacity. (Machine descriptions come from the Sustainable Times article; technical parallels and product detail draw on Jeanologia material and UKFT capacity figures.)<\/p>\n
The use of ozone and high\u2011energy finishing raises safety and materials questions that the team acknowledge but that independent research cautions should not be overlooked. A peer\u2011reviewed survey of ozone decontamination highlights ozone\u2019s virtue as a residue\u2011free oxidant but stresses strict engineering controls, exposure limits and monitoring to protect workers and prevent material degradation; it recommends validated process controls and further large\u2011scale testing before broad industrial rollout. LaundRe says its ozone chamber is a sealed system with controlled generation and extraction, but those operational claims remain the kind of detail safety professionals will want independently verified as the model scales. (Safety caveats come from the ozone review; the company\u2019s description of its sealed ozone process is reported by Sustainable Times.)<\/p>\n
LaundRe\u2019s business model is explicitly circular: brands can send raw or unsold denim for sanitisation, laser detailing and reprofiling into new colours or finishes, enabling micro\u2011drops, rapid sampling and upcycled collections. The founders argue this helps brands avoid write\u2011offs \u2014 a significant problem industry data and environmental agencies have flagged. The European Environment Agency has estimated that a non\u2011trivial share of textiles placed on the market are destroyed before use, and it flags both the climate impacts of incineration and the export of unsold goods. LaundRe points to letters of intent totalling more than \u00a31.5 million and interest from major retailers as evidence that the market is receptive to nearshore finishing and the sort of circular interventions it promotes. (Business model and letters of intent reported by Sustainable Times; EEA figures and broader waste context from the EEA briefing; UKFT notes brand interest including major retailers.)<\/p>\n
Education and partnerships are presented as central to the hub\u2019s mission. LaundRe runs training sessions for buyers, designers and students to expose them to finishing technologies and the trade\u2011offs involved in fibre choice, dyeing and wash techniques. Next door, partners such as Reskinned operate take\u2011back, sorting and repair services that feed garments into resale, repair or recycling streams; Reskinned publicly describes ozone sanitisation as one step in its zero\u2011landfill approach. The founders say these adjacent operations form the beginning of a local circular ecosystem where reclaimed garments are repaired, finished and returned to market rather than destroyed. (Training and community work described in the Sustainable Times piece; Reskinned\u2019s role and practices drawn from its public profile.)<\/p>\n
Scale will determine whether LaundRe is a blueprint or a pilot. The company estimates it currently processes roughly 0.3% of UK denim volume but expects to double capacity within a year if letter\u2011of\u2011intent commitments convert to contracts. Industry bodies and sector analysis suggest the potential emissions and waste savings of nearshore finishing are substantial, but they also point to barriers: brands\u2019 procurement cycles, the economics of large offshore production, and the capital cost of replicating controlled ozone and laser facilities more widely. Policy action is shifting the landscape \u2014 proposals such as extended producer responsibility and limits on destruction of unsold stock create incentives for circular solutions \u2014 but translating regulatory pressure into on\u2011the\u2011ground change will require reliable, verifiable metrics and third\u2011party validation of sustainability claims. (Processing share, growth plans and LOIs reported by Sustainable Times; UKFT and EEA provide context on capacity, industry drivers and policy levers.)<\/p>\n
LaundRe\u2019s founders are candid about ambition and the work ahead. \u201cWe have the machines, the knowledge, and the proof. Now we\u2019re building the future,\u201d Salli Deighton told the visiting reporter, framing the site as a practical experiment in reshaping how denim is finished and valued. The operation points to tangible tools \u2014 lasers, low\u2011water washers, ozone chambers, and nanobubble systems \u2014 that can reduce the traditional environmental costs of denim finishing. But independent safety assessments, robust lifecycle comparisons and transparent reporting will determine whether this model can move from a promising London blueprint to an accepted, scalable part of the industry\u2019s response to textile waste and destructive disposal practices. (Founders\u2019 quote and on\u2011site descriptions from Sustainable Times; assessment and caution drawn from the ozone literature, UKFT capacity note and EEA policy analysis.)<\/p>\n