It is safe to say that almost everyone does or has owned at least a pair of jeans before. With denim jackets following closely behind as a wardrobe staple. But despite being so common in our closets, denim items are actually some of the most damaging produce within the fashion industry. The Carbon Closet values low impact and traceability within their items so stay with us as we explain what makes denim so detrimental to the environment, as well as what you can look out for to ensure that your next pair of jeans are the right ones.
In The Beginning... Unfortunately, your pair of jeans has unsustainable values since they sat inside a cotton crop! Cotton is a heavy water-consuming crop and is often grown using chemicals, fertilisers and pesticides. Not only do these chemicals cling to the crop and end up in your jeans, but wildlife and the surrounding soil ends up suffering too. Far too often, the soil that has been used to grow the cotton is so dried out and stripped of all its nutrients, it ends up taking another few years before it is plausible to grow anything else on it! When the time comes for harvesting the cotton, heavy, fuel intense farm machinery is used which bumps up carbon emissions and flattens the already used-and-abused soil further. Do your jeans feel worth it already?
From Crop To Clothing Following harvesting, cotton is then processed with other chemicals to dye and finish the fabric. These are disposed of unethically, and are released into surrounding waters every time you put your item through the wash. Throughout denims production and lifespan, around 30kg of CO2 is emitted, with a further 3,780 litres of water used in the production of your typical pair of Levi’s jeans! As if this wasn’t damaging enough, if it is a fast-fashion house producing the jeans, you can dote on corners being cut, waste being dealt with unsustainable, and people not getting paid for their work- remember, if it’s nice and cheap for you, it’s because someone didn’t get paid at all!
The Demise Of Your Denim Jeans Nearly 5% of landfill waste is made up of denim waste, which is a shocking amount when you consider how long a pair of jeans can last. Not only is the item ultimately wasted after all the water and emission intense production, but up to 20% of the denim fabric itself is wasted as offcuts before it even makes it into a garment. And for those of you who think “burn it” is the solution to landfill, this would only rack up the number of CO2 produced. And following all the suffering our planet went through just to produce the denim in the first place, is it fair to burn the result and pretend none of the damage happened? One of the more ethical solutions to the end-of-life of your jeans is to donate them to a charity shop; or even better, get creative! We’ll tell you how...
How You Can Help The Carbon Closet exists to help you skip all the greenwashing. There are brands that follow ethical values and create their denim using organic cotton which is less water intense and minimises chemical usage. Using naturally derrived dyes also help your jeans to become that bit more ethical. Explore brands such as Baukjen, Armed Angels and The White Company, who use organic cotton and are transparent about their products. You could also get creative and applique or patchwork over any tears and rips, or just fray the edges of the tear to create some ripped jeans instead! Denim is a material with one of the longest lifespans in the clothing world, so there is little excuse to dispose of it early. If you really do need a clear out, consider donating items to charity shops, or clothing banks, or perhaps even look into recycling schemed offered by brands such as Nudie Jeans or Patagonia.
The Carbon Closet is dedicated to providing you with knowledge and products that prioritise the earth and your style. We host a wide range of sustainable denim products on our site for any occasion. We hope you’ve learnt a lot with us, and if you’re hungry for more, keep an eye on our blog page for bi-weekly posts, and sign up to our newsletter for more news, tips and insights. Remember: Your jeans don’t have to cost the earth.