Long Live Jeans

Adding eco-jeans to a product range isn’t enough to make the industry green. Uncomfortable economic facts indicate radical change – and this represents a competitive advantage for denim. Text: Petrina Engelke. Poto: ©bunwit - stock.adobe.com

The climate crisis constitutes a corporate risk. It even appears in Levi Strauss’ prospectus under this heading. The consequences of global warming, environmental pollution, and exploitation not only kill humans, but also businesses. Levi’s likes to portray itself as a pioneer in terms of sustainability goals and measures. However, when the world market leader of jeans manufacturers sought investors when it went public in March 2019, the 248-page “Sustainability Guide” was missing from the section listing positive investment arguments. The question remains how to keep the risk in check.

NO COTTON, NO JEANS

Excuse me, your cotton is riddled with errors in reasoning. Even cotton reacts sensitively to the new climate standards. Heat waves and drought reduce or destroy the cotton harvest, as do heavy rains and floods. Jeans brands and denim weavers had better look for alternatives.

Everyone seems to be pinning their hopes on hemp at the moment. Hemp alone is, however, too scratchy for jeans. While engineers are studying its structure, scientists are experimenting with kelp algae fibre admixtures or developing new biopolymers based on bacteria and yeast fungi. In short, anyone who bases his or her business exclusively on cotton is about as smart as the people who insisted on making lamp oil of whale fat.

NEW IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN: TRANSPARENCY!

Wait, we’re not done yet! Water is becoming scarce, as are fossil reserves for energy and plastic components. Ever-rising mountains of waste are raising disposal costs. At a time when customers demand quick satisfaction at the click of a mouse, an increasing number of natural disasters are jeopardising production and distribution with regular outages. To be fair, the climate crisis is asking a bit much of companies. Wailing, gnashing teeth, lobbying, and even greenwashing costs time and money. On top of it all, millennials have the cheek to demand to know who manufactured their jeans.

A management consultant couldn’t ask a more significant question. Instead of despairing in the face of a mountain of problems, a transparent supply chain shows exactly where one’s own business can be dissociated from high-risk materials and processes. Both large corporations and small stores need to start perceiving the value chain as a data source for improvements. AG Jeans’ production, for example, has virtually eliminated its dependence on fresh water by installing a recirculation system in its factories in Los Angeles and Mexico City. This not only reduces the environmental and social burden, but also the costs. It also ensures ongoing operations during periods of drought, for instance.

MORE THAN JUST A SOLUTION

Wouldn’t it be great to have a panacea? Wrangler has, at least, developed a water, energy, and waste reduced dyeing method. To this end, the jeans specialist teamed up with Spanish textile supplier Tejidos Royo and the Texas Tex University. Meanwhile, Levi’s and Jeanologica are keeping a close eye on the clock. In finishing, they have replaced chemicals with laser technology. Suddenly each cycle takes 90 seconds instead of two to three hours of manual work. Time is money – and going solo costs both. Through teamwork, activist groups such as the Science-Based Targets Initiative or the Fashion Industry Charter of Climate Action accelerate the salvation of the industry. They gather fashion companies and experts around a table to exchange best practices and achieve scientifically sound, measurable goals in a timely manner. Sales figures as a yardstick for success are going out of fashion.

THE SECRET ADVANTAGE OF THE JEANS INDUSTRY

Enough of the theatrics! As in a romantic comedy, the main characters are the last to discover what the audience realised ages ago: longevity loves denim. Classics like the Levi’s 501, the Wrangler Blue Bell, or the Lee Riders have survived decades of trends and are now the stars in second-hand boutiques. Recycling options are thus virtually woven into the fabric. While the flimsy Fast Fashion segment is quaking in its boots after analysts predicted that it will be overtaken by the resale trend, jeans labels such as Authentic Vintage can sit back and rely on their respective inventories. Rental jeans supplied by MUD, as well as luxury upcycling businesses such as Atelier & Repairs and Re/Done, are tapping into new business fields. Even during the design phase, denim specialists can lay the groundwork for a product that involves few risks and harbours plenty of revenue potential. The fact that all these strategies also save the earth benefits the industry’s image even more.