Levi Stauss & Co., the company that created the very first pair of jeans, has been a pioneer in the movement to responsibly manage water usage for the health of our planet.
From cotton production to laundering garments after they are sold, an abundance of clean water is an essential component of the apparel industry. Levi Strauss estimates that a typical pair of blue jeans requires 919 gallons of water in its life cycle. It includes the water used in irrigating the cotton crop as well as that required for washing the pair of jeans several times.
The company is making an effort to contribute in every way it can to reduce the usage of water, not just for environmental protection, but to safeguard its own future. The company fears that cotton would become very limited or expensive in future owing to water shortages caused by climate change, which might put the very existence of the company at risk.
Hence, the company has initiated and sponsored a non-profit programme to teach the latest rainwater harvesting and irrigation techniques to cotton cultivators in Brazil, India, Pakistan and West and Central Africa.
The firm has also introduced a brand that features stone-washed denim, which is smoothened using rocks, instead of water.
In addition, Levi Strauss is adding tags on all its jeans urging users to wash less frequently and to use only cold water. For those consumers who seek further advice, the company says, putting jeans in the freezer would kill germs that cause them to give bad odour.
From cotton production to laundering garments after they are sold, an abundance of clean water is an essential component of the apparel industry. Levi Strauss estimates that a typical pair of blue jeans requires 919 gallons of water in its life cycle. It includes the water used in irrigating the cotton crop as well as that required for washing the pair of jeans several times.
The company is making an effort to contribute in every way it can to reduce the usage of water, not just for environmental protection, but to safeguard its own future. The company fears that cotton would become very limited or expensive in future owing to water shortages caused by climate change, which might put the very existence of the company at risk.
Hence, the company has initiated and sponsored a non-profit programme to teach the latest rainwater harvesting and irrigation techniques to cotton cultivators in Brazil, India, Pakistan and West and Central Africa.
The firm has also introduced a brand that features stone-washed denim, which is smoothened using rocks, instead of water.
In addition, Levi Strauss is adding tags on all its jeans urging users to wash less frequently and to use only cold water. For those consumers who seek further advice, the company says, putting jeans in the freezer would kill germs that cause them to give bad odour.
