Levi's Water Less jeans provide style & sustainability

21 May '11

3 min read

Levi's, the original and definitive jeans brand, launched its new Water Less jeans in Europe – made using significantly less water but with the same great styles and finishes for which the brand is known. The Levi's Water Less collection reduces the water consumption by an average of 20 percent, and up to 88 percent in some products in the line.

In total, 17 percent of the Levi's Fall/Winter 2011 collection, which is now available in stores across Europe, will be produced using the Water Less method, saving approximately 20 million litres of water. This is equivalent to around 725,887 seven-minute showers, 3.6 million toilet flushes, or drinking water for a town of 10,000 people for over two years.

“Our Water Less collection provides a fantastic fusion between style and sustainability,” said Erik Joule, senior vice president of merchandising and design for the Levi's brand. “As a company, we continuously strive to reduce the environmental impact of our products and manufacturing processes. We are excited about the results we have achieved so far with Levi's Water Less jeans, and we know we can make an even bigger impact by applying this innovative thinking to other aspects of our production process.”

During production, a typical pair of jeans is “finished” in large washing machines and dryers to achieve the many different looks that are popular with consumers. Using traditional garment washing methods, the average pair of jeans undergoes 3-10 washing cycles – adding up to approximately 45 litres of water per unit.

Levi's Water Less jeans have reduced the water consumption in the finishing process by making simple changes to the process.

Some examples include:

•Reducing the number of washing machine cycles by combining multiple wet cycle processes into a single wet process
• Incorporating ozone processing into the garment washing
• Removing the water from the stone wash

The first collection of Water Less products will be available in stores in Europe from May 2011 onwards and will include over a dozen classic Levi's jeans, including Levi's 501 jeans and the popular Levi's 511 (slim fit) for men, as well as the Levi's Curve ID finishes for women.

As part of the Water Less initiative, ten percent of the proceeds from Levis Water Less products bought online through the Levi's website in Europe will be donated to Water.org, a pioneer in delivering sustainable water and sanitation solutions around the world.

Water Less jeans are just one way the Levi's brand is working to reduce the environmental impact of its products. Recent Levi Strauss & Co. research shows that during the lifecycle of a pair of Levi's 501 jeans, the largest water impact comes from the cotton growing process and through the laundry habits of consumers after they leave the store. As a company, Levi Strauss & Co. is making strides in these key areas – from reducing water during cotton cultivation through the company's support of the Better Cotton Initiative to creating requirements for how suppliers use water in the manufacturing process and encouraging consumers to use less water in caring for their jeans after them take them home.

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