Levi Strauss joins denim recycling programme

Explaining about the working of the programme, Levi's said if the customers bring in any used denim – of any colour, from any brand, in any condition, as long as it’s dry and clean – into any of our mainline or outlet stores in the US or participating Levi’s stores in Canada and drop it into the specially marked bin, you get 20 per cent off one full-price item in the store.

The denim is then collected by Cotton Incorporated’s Blue Jeans Go Green programme and taken to a company called Bonded Logic, which transforms it into insulation that can be used in community buildings such as schools, libraries and in low-income housing built by Habitat for Humanity affiliates. This benefits the planet (because the denim doesn’t go into landfill) and communities because it helps keep homes warmer and energy bills lower.

“For more than 150 years, we have made products that are built to last,” said Michael Kobori, vice president of sustainability at Levi's. “Extending the life of denim through recycling or repurposing is crucial to building a more sustainable business and driving toward a more circular economy.”

Levi's has other programmes designed to give denim a second (or third, or fourth) life as well. The company's in-store Tailor Shops around the world help consumers repurpose and repair garments, and the Levi’s Authorized Vintage line will make archive-quality denim, including jeans and trucker jackets, into artistically unique and personalised pieces for resale in select stores.

"This all fits into our broader sustainability programs and aspirations, which are grounded in our Profits Through Principles approach to business. We take responsibility for the human and environmental footprint of our products and operations, doing right by the places where we live and work, and innovating around the possible practice and policies for us, our industry, and the planet," Levi's said on its website. (RR)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India