LS&Co. Unzipped

harish (not verified) - Nov 07 2011

Hi, How can we justify your reasoning and abide with a company when they are not committed to deal with a probelm across the board. If you at Levi Strauss say you have banned sandblasting does that guarantee the workers health who may not be using this method for your brand but continues with sandblasting process for other customers. is it not time that all retailers across the globe sit and ban this process universally. Also I am not sure to what extent your partners who are involved in the evaluation process of the factories know about the plight of the hidden workforce who are invariably involved with processing Levi Strauss products under appalling working conditions. Take for example some recent fainting cases in Cambodia and may be some of them are directly or inderectly involved in processing Levi Strauss.

Editor's note: Thank you for your comment. Levi Strauss & Co. is deeply committed to the health of workers making our products. That’s why we were the first apparel company to establish a code of conduct, including labor, health and safety standards, twenty years ago. LS&Co. and H&M were the first apparel companies to prohibit sandblasting to make our products. We look forward to an industry-wide ban on sandblasting, and we continue to work with trade unions and industry groups toward this goal.
 
We're aware of the fainting cases in Cambodian factories, and we've been working with other brands to support the International Labor Organization and Cambodian government  to investigate and address this issue. As with all matters related to worker health and safety, we take this issue seriously.

colintraveller (not verified) - Oct 01 2011

We pay over the odds for jeans soley due to the label , whilst most are commenting on the method used to get the effect on the jeans surprisingly none of the comments i have read makes any reference of the Paltry pathetic crap wages these people get paid .. 40 dollars a month that's not even a respectable wage and no person that has replied would even work for that , so why should it be allowed for others in less rich nations to be exploited so western companies can profit , Absolute disgrace I garuntee that no high earner would be able to maintain there preferred lifestyle on that wage . So why should it be acceptable to pay others MUCH LESS WHEN WE IN THE WEST WOULD NOT WORK FOR THAT , when the cost of living here is ever increasing . And if people make the issue of costs etc .. please spare me the drivel and pathetic excuses .. . It's disgrace to pay those much less when the product you sell costs more than what they earn in a month ..

Editor’s note:Thanks, colintraveler, for sharing your perspective about the wages paid to the apparel workers who make our product. I thought it might make sense to share our position on this issue.

At Levi Strauss & Co., we believe everyone who works has the right to wages ensuring a standard of living adequate for their health and well-being and that of their families. This includes food, clothing, housing, medical care and necessary social services.

Within our supply chain, we work to:

• Ensure our contract suppliers provide local minimum wages or prevailing industry wage, whichever is higher, as well as required overtime premiums and benefits;
• Ensure our suppliers respect freedom of association and collective bargaining
• Work with our suppliers and the Levi Strauss Foundation to support asset building programs, including financial literacy, matched savings programs, micro-enterprise and public policy that encourages savings;
• Improve our business practices that may impact suppliers’ social performance  and implement programs that provide mutual benefits to Levi Strauss & Co. and our suppliers;
• Implement supplier productivity programs to improve issues related to work hours and wages;
• Collaborate with others in our industry to adopt similar policies.

This year, we’ve announced our intent to work to improve the lives of apparel workers beyond the factory walls. Our commitment and dedication to this issue remain as strong as ever. And it’s something of which we’re quite proud.

Jed (not verified) - Oct 01 2011

Good move, but I just found a small stone (sand particle?) in my recently purchased Levi 505's. Is there any way I can tell from the label where and when these were manufactured? or should I assume these were from a batch possibly manufactured before Levi's ban on sandblasting of their products? Thanks.

Editor's note: Hi Jed, and thanks for your question. Since you recently purchased your pair of Levi's® 505® jeans, it's unlikely they were sandblasted, as it's been more than a year since we announced our global sandblasting ban. In September 2010, we stopped placing new orders for sandblasted product, and as of December 31, 2010, all active production using this finishing method had ceased.

If you want to know where your Levi’s® 505® jeans were made, you can check the product care label. All of our products have a country of origin on the label. And if you want to know when they were made, please go ahead and email us a photo of your product care label -- to questions@levi.com -- and we’ll check the production date for you. We hope this information helps. Enjoy wearing your Levi’s® 505®s!

DEREK MCCLELLAND (not verified) - Oct 01 2011
Let me blast the the people who do this to make a buck !

wulanchandra (not verified) - Sep 27 2011
great, Thank you for the kind words

Beth (not verified) - Sep 21 2011

So, let me get this straight. A process done properly can be done safely. Company A (Levi's) chooses the high road and produces a product safely. Company B (those with unsafe records) chooses the low road and produces a product but puts workers at risk. So, Company A stops doing the safe process? Makes about as much sense as a ban on classroom scissors because Student X pokes his neighbors with them even though the other students use them safely. Deal with Student X and Student X's family problems; don't punish the entire class.

Editor's note: Hi Beth, and thank you for your comment on this important issue. You're correct when you reference companies like Levi's® taking "the high road" -- putting in strict standards to help protect the health and safety of the people who make our products. That said, because there are factories, often linked to counterfeit operations, that don't apply these same safeguards, we believe that the most effective and complete way we can help ensure that no worker -- in any garment factory -- faces the threat associated with exposure to crystalline silica is to move to end sandblasting industry-wide. It's difficult to "deal with Student X," as you say, when that "student" is hiding its manufacturing processes and, possibly, putting workers at risk.

kurt goslin (not verified) - Aug 12 2011
Perhaps you could try soda blasting them with baking soda (Sodium Bicarbonate). i have a soda blasting business in San Antonio Texas and use my jeans in the process of my work. Baking Soda is NON TOXIC and will not hurt the water sources either. Stay green (or denim blue) and have a great day. KGoslin San Antonio Texas 78217

Dave (not verified) - Jul 02 2011

I can believe that your company may want to do good, but like most American companies, the only thing that matters is the bottom line. I feel that your company found some way to save money, not lives. The jeans have changed and a lot of people don't like it. They look cheaper, thinner and the feel is different. Perhaps you could offer the old style of 501's and see what your costumers prefer

Editor's note: Hi Dave, and thanks for your comment. I do admit that we are a for-profit company, so our bottom line is important. That said, if we don't make product that consumers want to buy, we won't last long. We've found that consumer preferences change over time. For instance, what I liked when I was 20- or 30-years old probably won't appeal to my son when he hits those milestones -- even if he's a Levi's® guy like me. We strive to stay true to our heritage, in terms of craftsmanship and quality. At the same time, we have to evolve our product to keep it fresh, relevant and desirable. If you're interested in more of the "older" versions of our products, you may want to try the 501™ and 505™ selvedge styles. They most resemble our older styles in both cut and craftsmanship.

 

Arslan Shaukat (not verified) - Apr 16 2011
Well done Levi's. I am hopefull that other companies will also follow this and ban sand blasting.

sandblasting melbourne (not verified) - Mar 10 2011
yeah! Sandblasting is not genuinely designed to use on Jean! thanks for sharing!

Zuza (not verified) - Nov 04 2010
Well done! I hope you can make it, and all the other brands as well...

Sureshbabu.V (not verified) - Sep 22 2010
Great initiative by Levis. Hope rest of the world too follow the Safe practices in the interest of People protection and Consumer protection. This do not simply happen unless company feels Safety is organisational core value. The guys working in Levis must really proud to work in such organisation where Safety and Health of the Employees given paramount importance. Thanks for the good work. Regards, Suresh.V

Amarashish Phanse (not verified) - Sep 17 2010

They say leaders lead by setting examples and this is the one! I am sure there are several such practices/procedures that LS&Co. must have put in place over the century. If they are shared/revealed, then it can further raise esteem of your great company in the eyes of not only consumers but business community in general, who need to practise a lot before they 'preach'. Great job guys!!!

Editor's note: Thank you for the kind words. Sustainability and worker rights are top priorities for us. I invite you to visit the Sustainability section of this website to learn more about the company's leadership and ongoing work in these and related areas.

Jorge (not verified) - Sep 09 2010
The sandblasted jeans will not be missed. Great job on the decision guys. Go forth, right?

Soledad Song (not verified) - Sep 08 2010
Thank you for doing this! There are plenty of ways to distress and break-in garments that don't endanger people's health. ^_^ I will definitely tell my friends that Levi's and H&M support a global ban on sandblasting textiles. I already wrote about it on Facebook and someone commented that they learned today that sandblasting wasn't just something to take the paint off houses.

Kathleen Fasanella (not verified) - Sep 08 2010

Fabulous! I can only hope this is the beginning of removing hazardous processes from denim finishing and that other producers will follow your lead. Another treatment that needs to be phased out ASAP is the practice of applying whiskers. For the benefit of visitors who may not know, whiskers are formed with liquid resins sprayed from the typical spray bottle. Unfortunately, these resins contain formaldehyde. I have photos on my site showing workers spraying resins with no protective gear, arranging the whisker folds with ungloved hands before the creases are heat set. [These photos were not taken in a Levi's contract facility]. Actually, there is nothing sustainable about the premium denim market at all. All processes be they sandblasting, whiskers, washing, bleaching (potassium permanganate or PP) etc are not sustainable -if not out and out toxic and wasteful of water. Few facilities employ a closed loop system. So it strikes me as highly ironic that the crowd most enthralled with premium denim are precisely the population most obsessed with sustainability. Time to wise up folks. If you buy distressed premium denim, you're part of the problem.

Editor’s note: Thanks, Kathleen, for your thoughtful and informed comment. By no means do we consider our announcement on sandblasting the end of the road. We continue to look for ways to reduce our environmental impact and enhance worker safety while delivering consumers the products they want and expect from our brands. You’ll continue to hear more from our company on this topic, so please stay tuned. And it's worth noting that all of the factories that make our products must meet our stringent health and safety standards -- including the use of personal protective equipment when any hazardous conditions may be possible.

Your point about whiskering reminded us of the recent column in The Wall Street Journal, featuring expert denim care advice from our own Carl Chiara. His approach of washing jeans less — every six months! -- not only reduces water use, but also delivers a custom pair of jeans that’s as unique as the person who wears it. We featured it here.

Thank you again!

robert (not verified) - Sep 08 2010
Great move by Levis.

Richard (not verified) - Sep 08 2010

I refuse to purchase jeans that appear to have been worn by some slave dragged for miles behind a horse.

Editor's note: Richard, clearly you prefer a darker wash. We've got you covered there, too! Check out the styles on Levi.com or at your favorite retailer or Levi's® brand store..