Adopting zero-waste indigo dyeing production: strategies for the Chinese market

DyStar is a multinational organization and world leader of dyestuffs and chemical manufacturing. As the world’s largest supplier of textile dyes, it offers a broad range of products and has increasingly positioned the company and its products as sustainable solutions. In 2017, DyStar launched the Cadira® Denim, an indigo dye that uses a closed-loop technology and reduces environmental and social impact substantially. Adoption of the technology in China has been slow in comparison to other geographic markets such as Turkey. The case highlights the challenges of sustainable technology adoption from supplier perspective in a highly fragmented and complex supply chain context. It provides material for class discussion and learning from different theoretical perspectives, including economic, strategic and organizational perspectives, as well considering the Chinese cultural and institutional environment.