Levi's jeans produced more sustainably than ever before

What has set Levi Strauss apart from the other companies is it holds sustainability at the core of all its business operations. Photo / Levi Strauss

Levi Strauss, the jean company with which the world has been familiar for years, is continuing to make great statements for sustainability as it bucks the throwaway society phenomenon by making products that genuinely last for years.

The San Francisco-based company was founded in 1853 by German migrant Levi Strauss. Since then, it has constantly been on the top of the heap, staving off competition from other jeans producers and denim clothing manufacturers.

Levi's now openly believes that what has set them apart from the other companies is it holds sustainability at the core of all its business operations.

Roy Bagattini, Executive Vice President, says Levi's pursues profits with principles - doing successful business in an ethical way.

Levi's has aimed to maintain innovation in manufacturing processes, positive interactions with all of its suppliers, and encouraging its employees to do volunteer work in local communities.

The Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) was introduced into use by Levi's in 2007, and was updated in 2013. It's a procedure which measures the environmental impact of a specific product or service to make sure it is conducted in the most sustainable way possible.

For a pair of jeans, this involves thorough investigation of its manufacture - including extraction of raw materials, growing cotton, and even when it is thrown away by a consumer in the end.

Another area that is focused on is consumer care data, right down to inspecting people's laundry habits. The company's findings are then used to overhaul any aspect of its manufacturing process required to make its products more efficient and sustainable.

Levi's learned nearly 3,800 litres of water are used throughout the lifetime of one of its pairs of jeans, with approximately 68 percent going to cotton production, and 23 percent being used in the laundry.

Consumer care is responsible for the most significant energy use and climate impact during the jeans's lifetime. However, Levi's knowledge of this has enabled it to develop and introduce the WaterLess method of production, which means Levi Strauss has saved more than one billion litres of water since 2011.

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