MANUFACTURING
Blue Jeans Maker Sharing Water-saving Techniques
Levi Strauss & Co. announced it is making its Water< Less finishing techniques available to the public.
Since the water-saving methods were introduced five years ago, the San Francisco–based blue-jeans maker said the techniques have helped save the company 264 million gallons of water during the garment-finishing process.
Levi’s is sharing 21 water-saving techniques with a range of applications for denim finishing, including ozone and wash-cycle combinations.
These techniques were previewed with nearly 20 of Levi’s industry peers last year in an effort to drive collaboration toward greater impact as an industry.
The blue-jeans maker is encouraging all apparel companies to accelerate their own innovation and engage in an open dialogue around water use in the apparel industry.
“Water is a critical resource for our business, the planet and people around the globe, but usable supply is becoming increasingly scarce,” said Michael Kobori, Levi’s vice president of sustainability. “We’ve long been committed to being water stewards but realize more needs to be done. We’re setting competition aside and encouraging others to utilize these open-source tools.”
Levi’s 2020 water-saving targets include:
• Using 100 percent sustainable cotton through sources such as the Better Cotton Initiative and recycled cotton, significantly reducing its total water footprint.
• Having 80 percent of Levi’s products made with Water< Less techniques.
• Achieving zero discharge of hazardous chemicals by participating in the Joint Roadmap Towards Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC).
• Having 100 percent of Levi’s corporate employees complete the Project WET water-education training program run by a non-profit.
Levi’s water-saving techniques can be found on the company website located at www.levistrauss.com.
