LS&Co. Unzipped
Jan 14 2011
Green Jeans...and More
There’s a derogatory term, "green washing," in environmental circles. It’s based on a more familiar one, “white washing,” and refers to a company that may not be doing much in the way of sustainability, but likes to make you think it is.
I’m proud to say that Levi Strauss & Co. takes sustainability seriously. In fact, we’re working to build sustainability into everything we do. And with that in mind, we wanted to highlight, below, some of the company’s accomplishments in 2010.
We do this not to brag, but just to let you know that we’re hard at work. And by telling you about our accomplishments last year, you’ll know that when you buy Levi’s®, Dockers® and Denizen™ product, you’re supporting our efforts to “do the right thing.”
For that, we thank you! You have our commitment to continue these efforts in 2011...and beyond.
And now, our list for 2010:
1. Shared our vision: Our President & CEO, John Anderson, laid out our sustainability vision and foundation for the future in a speech at U.C. Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.
2. Led the way: Early in the year, Levi Strauss & Co. partnered with Forum for the Future, a leading sustainability organization based in London, in outlining a vision of ecologically friendly fashion for the year 2025. By creating scenarios about how a sustainable future could look, we hope to challenge ourselves -- and others in the industry -- to be more sustainable. We are working with Forum For the Future and international design schools to use this work as the basis for a sustainable fashion curriculum.
3. Measured our progress: In January, we joined 60 other corporations to “road test” a new method of measuring greenhouse gas emissions to better understand the carbon emissions associated with a product or supply chain. The standard was developed by the World Resources Institute and provides a common method of accounting for carbon emissions. This information will ultimately be communicated to you, the consumer. The goal is to unleash the power of the market to address climate change on a global scale.
4. Reduced our environmental impact: In October, our Çorlu, Turkey plant was the first in our company’s history to receive two international certifications, ISO 14001 and OHAS 18001, for Environmental Health & Safety management. The certification began with a detailed risk analysis that covered everything from product development to storage in the distribution center. Our Çorlu team spent more than a year preparing the plant for certification.
5. Educated you, the consumer: After finding out that how you, the consumer, care for your jeans has a significant impact on the environment, we launched two education campaigns. The Levi’s® Care Tag for Our Planet initiative changed the tags in Levi’s® jeans to teach consumers how to be environmentally responsible in caring for their clothes. The new labels read: wash in cold, line dry and donate to Goodwill when no longer needed. The second campaign, our Care to Air Contest, challenged designers to re-invent the clothesline for modern consumers.
6. Made a greener pair of jeans: The Levi’s® brand announced its Water<Less collection in November. The jeans reduce water consumption in the finishing process by an average of 28% -- and up to 96% for some products in the line. Those jeans hit store shelves and Levi.com just this week.
7. Gave old denim a new purpose: What do you do with old, un-wearable jeans? Use them as recycled denim insulation, of course! In October, we launched an initiative designed to keep jeans out of landfills. The company offered grants to organizations undergoing construction products to offset the cost difference of using recycled denim insulation instead of conventional insulation.
8. Advocated for national change: We worked hard to make our voice heard in Washington, D.C. Our senior executives made the case for climate change legislation, and our Chairman of the Board testified on the topic on Capitol Hill. In fact, our strong efforts to improve environmental public policy resulted in an uptick of our Climate Counts score, an environmental rating system that judges 90 companies in 12 different business sectors.
9. Protected our workers: Levi Strauss & Co. joined Hennes & Mauritz in placing a global ban on sandblasting in all future product lines. By banning sandblasting, we hope to encourage all apparel brands and retailers to join us -- protecting the safety of factory workers worldwide.
10. Supported the first harvest of Better Cotton: This past fall marked the first harvest of the Better Cotton Initiative. This is a long-term sustainable approach to growing and harvesting cotton that dramatically reduces water and pesticide use. We are working to incorporate Better Cotton into our products in 2012.
Posted By: Cory Warren, Editor, LS&Co. Unzipped |
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