The Levi’s Brand has introduced a new collection of denim incorporating post-consumer waste, specifically recycled plastic bottles and food trays. Each Levi’s Waste<LessTM product will include a minimum of 20 per cent post-consumer recycled content or, on an average, eight 12 to 20-ounce bottles per jean. The products, which will be available for both men and women as part of the Levi’s Spring 2013 collection, represent the next chapter in the company’s ongoing commitment to sustainable design.
“From the beginning, we have designed our products with purpose and intent. By adding value to waste, we hope to change the way people think about recycling, ultimately incentivizing them to do more of it,” said James Curleigh, global president of the Levi’s brand. “This collection proves that you don’t have to sacrifice quality, comfort or style to give an end a new beginning.”
The Spring 2013 Levi’s Waste<Less collection will utilize over 3.5 million recycled bottles. The Spring 2013 men’s products, which will be available globally, will feature Levi’s 511TM Skinny jeans, a new modern-looking Levi’s 504 Straight Fit jean, and the iconic Levi’s Trucker jacket. For women, Levi’s Boyfriend Skinny jeans in a progressive fit will be available in the US and Europe.
Through the company’s partners, PET plastic, or polyethylene terephthalate materials – including brown beer bottles, green soda bottles, clear water bottles and black food trays – are collected through municipal recycling programs across the US. The bottles and food trays are sorted by color, crushed into flakes and made into a polyester fiber. Next, the polyester fiber is blended with cotton fiber, which is finally woven with traditional cotton yarn by Cone Denim to create the denim used in the Levi’s Waste<Less jeans and trucker jackets. The color of the bottles used adds a beautiful undertone to the denim fabric creating a unique finish in the final product.
“With this collection, we’re doing our own small part by taking waste and making something new from it,” added Curleigh. “We don’t just want to reduce our impact on the environment, we want to leave it better than we found it. We are committed to making products in ways that are good for people and better for our planet.”
The new Waste<LessTM collection is only the latest chapter in the company’s commitment to doing more with less. In 2009, Levi Strauss & Co. introduced “A Care Tag for our Planet,” an initiative to educate consumers on how to clean their clothes with less environmental impact; it also encourages them to donate used jeans to Goodwill rather than throwing them out.
This initiative was followed up by the development of Water<LessTM, a revolutionary finishing technique designed to reduce the use of water in the finishing process by up to 96 per cent for some styles.
This year, the Levi’s Water<LessTM collection saved over 360 million litres of water. Additionally, the company is a member of the Better Cotton Initiative, which reduces water and pesticides use during the cotton growing process, and economically supports hundreds of thousands of cotton farmers. To date, LS&Co. has blended Better Cotton into more than five million pairs of jeans.
Levi’s Waste<LessTM products will be available in Levi’s stores globally and on Levi.com from January 2013.
The Levi’s Brand epitomizes classic American style and effortless cool. Since their invention by Levi Strauss & Co. in 1873, Levi’s jeans have become the most recognizable and imitated clothing in the world, capturing the imagination and loyalty of people for generations. Today, the Levi’s brand portfolio continues to evolve through a relentless pioneering and innovative spirit that is unparalleled in the apparel industry. The range of leading jeanswear and accessories are available in more than 110 countries, allowing individuals around the world to express their personal style.
For more information about the Levi’s brand, its products and stores, visit levi.com.
Levi Strauss & Co. is one of the world’s largest brand-name apparel companies and a global leader in jeanswear. The company designs and markets jeans, casual wear and related accessories for men, women and children under the Levi’s, Dockers, Signature by Levi Strauss & Co., and Denizen brands. Its products are sold in more than 110 countries worldwide through a combination of chain retailers, department stores, online sites, and a global footprint of more than 2,300 franchised and company-operated stores. Levi Strauss & Co.’s reported fiscal 2011 net revenues were $4.8 billion.