Ban the Sand
San Francisco–based Levi Strauss & Co. is among the companies that have agreed to stop sandblasting denim because of the danger posed to workers who are exposed to crystalline silica during the sandblasting process. Materials such as aluminum oxide, aluminum silicate, silicon carbide, copper slag and garnet are used to give jeans a soft, well-worn appearance. The denim giant plans to cease all sandblasting operations by the end of the year.
