Press: The Levi’s Brand Introduces Water Less Jeans

Collection Reduces Water Used in the Jeans Finishing Process by 172 Million Litres

The Levi’s® brand on March 22^nd announced its new Water Less jeans – made using significantly less water. The average pair of jeans uses 42 litres of water in the finishing process. The Water Less collection reduces the use of water in the finishing process by an average of 25% per pair of jeans – and up to 96% for some styles.

“We challenged ourselves to operate at the intersection of style and sustainability. Our Water Less collection delivers on the great style and finish the Levi’s® brand is known for, but are made with a lot less water,” said Erik Joule, Senior Vice President of Global Merchandising and Design of the Levi’s® brand. “We’re excited about the results we’ve achieved so far, and we know we can make an even bigger impact by applying this innovative thinking to other aspects of our production process.”

This season more than 13 million products will be made with the Levi’s® Water Less finishing process, reducing water used in the jeans by 172 million litres of water. That’s equivalent to:

• 726,600,812 8oz glasses of drinking water
• Drinking water for 181,000 people for one year

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

Some examples:

• 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

“What’s different about the Water Less collection is that we’re still using the same materials and techniques to create finishes for our jeans but we’ve substantially reduced water’s role in the equation,” added Joule. “Sometimes, the way to achieve a more sustainable design is to rethink a traditional process and find a way to do it better.”

Water Less products are now available in South Africa and will include a variety of our popular men’s and women’s fits. 

Levi's® Water Less finishing process is just one way the Levi’s® brand is working to reduce the environmental impact of its products. Once a pair of Levi’s jeans is taken home, even more water is used caring for jeans every time they’re washed. 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 once they care for their jeans at home. As a company, Levi Strauss & Co. is making strides in these key areas – from supporting more sustainable ways to grow cotton to monitoring how suppliers use water in the manufacturing process.

The company also launched the “Care Tag for Our Planet” campaign, changing the product care tags in Levi’s® jeans to include instructions about ways consumers can reduce the environmental impact of their clothes by washing less, washing in cold water, line drying and donate when no longer needed.

Select men’s fits in the Levi’s® Water Less range are available at all Levi’s® stores in the country and selected Edgars, Markham and Stuttafords outlets.

Visit www.levi.co.za/waterless for further info and to join the Go Water Less Challenge to earn points for those in need.

ABOUT THE LEVI’S® BRAND

The Levi’s® brand epitomizes classic American style and effortless cool. Since their invention by Levi Strauss 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. Our range of leading denimwear 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, please visit www.levi.com.