PETpla.net Insider 04/ 2013

MATERIAL / RECYCLING 29 PET planet insider Vol. 14 No. 04/13 www.petpla.net Levi’s launches Jean genius containing PCR PET Eight bottles, one Jean The Levi’s brand has been synonymous with denim jeans since the copper-riveted, hard-wearing work trousers were first put on sale in San Francisco, CA/USA in 1873. The company is now steering a new, trendsetting course with the launch of its Waste<Less line. The distinct characteristic of these jeans is that their denim is made of more than cotton. Each pair incorporates recycled post-consumer PET bot- tles and food trays – a minimum of 20%, which works out as eight 12 to 20 fl oz (40 to 75cl) bottles per pair. The announcement of Waste<Less is the latest – and most visible – mani- festation of Levi’s policy commitment to sustainable design. In 2009, Levi Strauss & Co. introduced “A Care Tag for our Planet,” an education initiative intended to teach consum- ers methods of clothes cleaning with less environmental impact. It also encouraged donation of jeans they no longer wanted to recycling projects, rather than disposing of them. This was followed up by the development of Water<Less, a finishing technique designed to reduce the use of water. It is reported to have saved over 360 million litres during 2012. The com- pany is also part of the Better Cotton Initiative. In short, Levi Strauss & Co now has an established history of commitment to improved environmen- tal performance, so the Waste<Less line will not be a completely unfamiliar venture. Through the company’s part- ners, PET bottles including brown beer bottles, green soda bottles, clear water bottles and black food trays – are col- lected through municipal recycling pro- grams across the United States. The bottles and food trays are first sorted by colour, before being crushed into flakes and converted into a polyester fibre, which is blended with cotton fibre and woven with traditional cotton yarn by Cone Denim to create the fabric used in the Waste<Less brand cloth- ing. The colour of the bottles used is claimed to add a distinctive undertone to the denim fabric and to create a unique finish in the final product. The Waste<Less line is avail- able to both men and women and was commercially launched as part of Levi’s Spring 2013 collection. By adding value to waste, we hope to change the way people think about recycling, ultimately incentivising them to do more of it,” said James Curleigh, global president of the Levi’s brand. “This collection proves that you don’t have to sacrifice quality, comfort or style to give an end a new begin- ning.” The Spring 2013 collection uses more than 3.5 million recycled bottles. The men’s products will be avail- able globally and will feature 511TM Skinny jeans, redesigned 504 Straight Fit jeans and the well-known Levi’s Trucker jacket. Women in the US and Europe will have the option of Levi’s Boyfriend Skinny jeans in a progres- sive fit. The WasteLess products are avail- able in Levi’s stores and on Levi.com since January 2013. www.levistrauss.com