‘Sustainable fashion’ often gets an eye-roll. It’s overused, hard to define, and often leaves us with more questions than answers. While there are a number of sustainable brands genuinely paving the way for more planet-friendly practices—Stella McCartney being one of the most renowned—the British designer’s latest innovation has surprised even the most scrupulous of eco-warriors: denim that absorbs air pollution.
Yes, you read that right. Denim jeans, dresses and bags have been designed to soak up pollutants from the atmosphere. As McCartney’s team notes, air pollution causes over seven million premature deaths each year, and the fashion industry contributes up to 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions—playing a significant role in the problem. Now, thanks to a collaboration with a material called PURE.TECH, we might finally have a solution—and a chic one at that.
Here’s where it gets technical. PURE.TECH is officially described as a material that “combines dual mechanisms of catalysis and photocatalysis, enabling it to work in light or darkness". It can integrate with other materials—wood, paper, paint, or denim, in McCartney’s case. But does it actually work?
To explain, innovation expert in material chemistry Angela Borowski breaks it down: “PURE.TECH is a fabric that actually cleans the air around it. It works like a reactive surface, using light and movement to absorb CO₂ and other pollutants, then transform them into harmless byproducts,” she says.
“Once that reaction happens, these byproducts simply brush away over time—like pollen falling from a plant,” she adds. “Although there’s nothing to suggest these byproducts are visible, so don’t expect to see the process with your own eyes.”
You’re probably wondering how much pollution one pair of jeans can really clean. In controlled lab conditions, 30 grams of PURE.TECH completely cleared dangerous CO₂ levels in under half a day and reduced nitrogen oxides (NOx)— toxic gases from traffic and industry—by more than 20%, according to Stella McCartney’s information on the innovation. We don’t yet know how much PURE.TECH goes into each product, but the results are impressive nonetheless.
Borowski also notes that “even after washing, the technology stays put because it’s built into the textile itself. It’s not a coating or finish, but a foundational element woven in”.
So yes—it really does seem that Stella McCartney’s clothes can, quite literally, help clean up the planet. Where it goes from here will be fascinating to see and perhaps even wear.
