Materials

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

We are always looking for new ways to reduce waste by reusing materials in our stores or by extending the lives of our products.  For example:

• Encouraging reuse. In 2009, we launched the Care Tag for Our Planet in cooperation with Goodwill. The tag on our products not only instructs consumers on how to clean their clothes with less environmental impact; it also encourages them to donate used jeans to Goodwill rather than throwing them out. According to Goodwill, about 23.8 billion pounds of clothing end up in U.S. landfills each year. Goodwill organizations in the U.S. and Canada divert more than 1.5 billion pounds of clothing and textiles a year from landfills and, in the process, create job-training opportunities for more than 1.5 million people annually.
• Incorporating recycled fibers. In 2009, products made with post-consumer fiber were added to the already robust Levi’s® eco line of jeans and tops made with 100% organic cotton, offering consumers who wish to tread more lightly on the environment a choice when it comes to their denim.
• Reducing packaging. We have already reduced packaging of the Signature by Levi Strauss & Co.™ brand and are committed to do the same for the Levi’s® brand where possible. We are reducing the number of “hangtags” on each garment from an average of three to two. We are also beginning to print size and care information directly onto garments.
• Responsible procurement of forest products. Levi Strauss & Co. is committed to responsible procurement and efficient use of forest products throughout our global operations. Since the early 1990s, we’ve had a Sustainable Forest Procurement Policy that applies to all forest products we may procure, including paper, product packaging and hangtags, corrugated, construction and decoration materials, and furniture. We are committed to helping to maintain and restore the ecological integrity of our plant’s forest ecosystems and the natural capital and environmental services they provide. Read our Sustainable Forest Product Procurement Policy here.

Store Design

When LS&Co.’s retail team in Germany discussed opening a new store in Munster, they challenged themselves to build a store within the current design concept, but to use the most environmentally sound elements available. The result is the “greenest” store across our global network, and one that does not compromise the look and feel of the Levi’s® brand. Some of the design highlights of the store include:

• Recycled materials. All point-of-sale materials and brochures are printed on recycled paper and cardboard, and the carrier bags given to consumers are also made from recycled paper. Recyclable red carpet in changing rooms is certified carbon-neutral and changing-room curtains are made from 100% organic denim.
• Recycling station. The store operates a recycling station where consumers can bring any brand of used denim for recycling.
• Certified wood. The flooring used in the store is wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.