Sustainable Denim: Is it Possible?

The Problem with Denim Production

“Denim is one of the dirtiest pieces in your wardrobe because of the amount of chemicals and resources it uses.” – Laura Vicaria

During the podcast, Laura breaks down exactly how denim is made and why it’s not sustainable. 

The first problem: denim comes from cotton. “Cotton requires a lot of water. And it requires a lot of insecticides and pesticides. Already this is a big problem, particularly if you start thinking about where this cotton is coming from. It requires that product to come to different locations to be used.”

Next, the cotton is transformed into yarn. Then the yarn is dyed (usually with an indigo dye or synthetic indigo). From there, the yarn is turned into fabric. 

That fabric goes through stitches and cuts to assemble the product. For certain styles of denim jeans, a final wash or dye process, such as sandblasting or bleaching, is applied to get the desired look. Laura explains: “You’re taking this fabric that is brand new, and then you wash it out, make it look older, give it another color. Once the customer gets the product, it’s already worn out. That’s the darker side of the denim industry.” 

Each one of these steps in the supply chain could take place in a different city or country, requiring additional shipments and potential air travel, leading to more emissions. 

What’s the Environmental Impact of Denim? 

Denim production impacts the environment in three primary ways: soil biodiversity, water pollution, and use, and denim disposal. 

Soil Biodiversity 

Conventionally grown cotton is known as “one of the most environmentally demanding crops.” Its cultivation accounts for one-sixth of global pesticide usage, contaminating soil and harming soil biodiversity. 

According to the Center for Biological Diversity, soil biodiversity “reduces the impacts of extreme droughts and floods, which are becoming more common as the climate changes.”

The pesticides used in conventionally grown cotton are harmful to soil biodiversity, which is why organic cotton is crucial to sustainable denim production. 

Water Pollution and Waste 

Each year, the fashion industry uses enough water to meet the consumption needs of five million people, over 93 billion cubic meters. For denim, water consumption is compounded because its material is cotton-based, which requires a lot of water to grow. According to the UNEP, it takes “3,781 liters of water to make one pair of jeans.” 

Along with water waste comes water pollution. Globally, textile dyeing is the second-largest polluter of water, and fashion contributes to almost one-fifth of industrial water pollution.

Some companies now use synthesized indigo dye, which uses “a number of toxic chemicals, including formaldehyde, as does the dying process itself,” reports Emily Machar at Smithsonian Magazine. Even more concerning, in some factory towns, “rivers near denim mills run blue, contaminating and killing fish and affecting the health of workers and residents.” 

Denim Disposal

It takes more than 200 years for some textiles to decompose in landfills. With the average American discarding about 70 pounds of clothing per year, something’s got to give.

The use of synthetic materials in denim means denim doesn’t break down as easily as other textiles. Fashion trends like stretchy jeans are making matters worse, as stretchy denim is made with synthetic fibers that don’t decompose and can’t be recycled either. Many denim producers use synthetic dyes, which are also slow to decompose. 

For most denim producers, the product’s end of life isn’t part of the equation. But brands like MUD Jeans are addressing the denim disposal problem and taking responsibility for the whole life of their garments. 

Can Denim be Sustainable? 

“Circularity is making a product so it can be reused and reincorporated into the business over and over again. It’s about the effective use of materials.” – Laura Vicaria

Traditionally, in fast fashion, a product is created, sold, used, then tossed in the trash. This linear model of production isn’t ideal when we’re trying to minimize what ends up in the landfill. So the question is, how can we prevent denim waste? 

The answer: circular denim.

Laura explains how the opposite of linear production is circular production. Instead of using designs that lead to more waste, in circular production, products are designed with the end of life in mind. Denim is repaired, reused, redesigned, and resold. To minimize the amount of new raw materials extracted from the earth, sustainable denim production leans on recycled materials or reusing denim in innovative ways. 

How MUD Jeans is Leading the Way for Sustainable Denim

“You cannot really bring change to your company without understanding what the impact of your company is.” – Laura Vicaria

MUD Jeans has created a denim jeans production model that allows materials to be used again and again, which ultimately minimizes their environmental harm. In the podcast, Laura walks us through the steps to creating sustainable denim. 

1. Analyze Your Environmental and Social Impact 

Trying to make changes before understanding your full impact is like adding fertilizer to your plant when it really needs a bigger pot. There could be a different problem you’re missing.

Companies need to understand the entire impact of their production—from the beginning of the supply chain to the final product. Assessing the entire supply chain will give you a better idea of what you can do to make the biggest improvements. 

At MUD Jeans, Laura worked in collaboration with Eco Chain to develop a lifecycle analysis report (LCA)—an assessment that measures environmental impact. Eco Chain evaluates emissions and resource extractions to determine the end product’s impact on the environment. Together, they looked at every piece of the MUD Jeans supply chain to measure and understand their sustainability. Here are some questions they considered: 

• How much water do they use?
• How much electricity do they use? 
• Which chemicals do they use? 

They then plugged all their findings into the LCA system to calculate the environmental impact of each style of jeans. “From there, we can then actually develop further strategies to lower our environmental impact,” Laura says. 

Take it from Laura. The best starting point is to understand the scope of your impact. That way, you can clearly see the steps you need to take and measure your improvements along the way.

2. Adjust Your Materials and Supply Chain 

Once you understand your environmental and social impact, it’s time to chip away at making positive changes to your supply chain. Here are a few questions to ask yourself to help you figure out what to prioritize: 

• Where are the biggest areas of concern? 
• Which products/services have the biggest carbon footprint?
• What change(s) will move the needle the most? 
• What changes will be easiest to implement first?
• Are there organic materials you can use in place of your current materials? 
• Are there products/services you can remove that might dramatically reduce your impact without hurting company performance too much?

MUD Jeans has committed to using organic and recycled cotton. In fact, they hope to use 100% recycled cotton by 2025. The company’s denim is composed of 23–40% post-consumer recycled cotton, and the rest is Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified organic cotton. 

GOTS is an independent certification that goes beyond environmental impact, “assessing everything from the chemical inputs being used to the ethical treatment of workers.” 

Due to keeping consumer prices low and demanding low prices from manufacturers, the fashion industry is notorious for its poor treatment of garment workers. With just 2% of garment workers earning a living wage worldwide, brands have a responsibility to address and improve these conditions. 

Laura says circularity can’t happen without prioritizing social impact, evaluating factory working conditions, and ensuring fair wages. MUD Jeans partners with its suppliers every year to sign a code of conduct covering labor rights, fair wages, and working environments. While many fashion companies’ codes of conduct don’t ensure compliance, MUD Jeans reinforces its standards with third-party auditors to ensure ethical production. 

As you evaluate your supply chain, consider different areas where you can make small adjustments that could have compounding impacts. 

3. Focus on Transparency and Traceability 

How many hands have touched denim before it reaches the shelf? Where were the materials pulled from? How many countries did the product travel through?

Fashion companies have a responsibility to know where all of the materials they use come from, so they can understand their impact and help consumers make better purchasing decisions. 

More than 90% of consumers value transparency when trying to decide what to purchase. Brands have an opportunity to protect consumer trust by being open and honest about how materials are gathered and where they are made. 

Like Laura shares in the MUD Jeans sustainability report: “Traceability and transparency keep us connected to the materials and the people that are involved in the making of our jeans.”

Traceability involves knowing where every piece of your product originates, from extracting the raw material to manufacturing the item to consuming the product. For MUD Jeans, the cotton comes from Turkey, the fabric is made in Spain, and the stitching takes place in Tunisia. 

Transparency takes traceability a step forward—sharing the truth about where and how products are created. MUD Jeans traces its production cycle and discloses its supply chain with customers through its sustainability report. 

Sharing your products’ supply chain on your website and in your marketing helps build brand trust. Rather than keeping consumers in the dark, brands have an opportunity to market with authenticity.

4. Get Creative

There’s always a new way to approach an old problem, no matter how daunting the problem seems. One of the most creative ways MUD Jeans is practicing sustainability is through its Lease a Jeans model. 

For a monthly fee, customers can lease a pair of jeans for 12 months and either keep or swap their pair at the end of the year. Customers are rewarded for returning jeans with a discount on their next purchase or their next lease. Laura explains how the model relieves anxiety around denim purchases: 

“We’re removing the environmental anxiety of owning a new product for our customers, giving them the experience of owning a new pair of jeans but keeping the responsibility with us. Once they’re done using them, they send the jeans back to us, and we take care of what happens to that product at the end of life.”

After customers return the product, the jeans are either recycled or sold as a part of a vintage denim shop.

5. Prioritize Collaboration 

The important thing to remember is you’re not alone on this journey to sustainability. Your team, other departments, and even external organizations and individuals are potential thought partners and collaborators.

MUD Jeans shows us the power of working together to solve problems. Laura works across departments, including marketing and product development, to empower others to move the sustainability mission forward. 

Another way to collaborate is by looking outside of your company. Who can support you in your work? What are some unique ways to partner with other individuals or organizations? 

MUD Jeans has a history of collaborating with external organizations, a strategy that we can apply to our own careers and businesses. Here are two collaborations we can draw inspiration from: 

• Working with Saxxion University scientists to develop chemical recycling and create the first fully recycled pair of jeans. 
• Partnering with furniture brand IKEA in creating a sustainable denim couch cover.

The reality is, so often we work in silos. Instead, let’s challenge ourselves to reach beyond our spheres and connect with like-minded individuals to solve real-world problems together.