Levis presents a new version of one of its most iconic products, the 501® Original jeans, made from organic cotton and recycled denim. They are designed to stand alone infinitely recyclable.
Levis thus continued its long-term cooperation with the Swedish company Renewcell, which is consistent with the idea of the 501® model, which is based on permanence, immutability and immortal design.
Renewcell a Wellthread
The introduction of the new 501® also builds on the successful collaboration between Renewcell and Wellthread on the new 502 line for men and High Loose models for women using materials that Fast Company called a “World Changing Idea”.
In all the mentioned models, the innovative mixture of Renewcell fiber Circulose®, i.e. sustainably obtained viscose, which is made from recycled denim and organic cotton, was used.
Recycled materials
The use of renewable and recyclable materials – such as Circulose and certified organic cotton – is an important part of the renewable economy approach. Every single component that makes up the new sustainable 501® jeans is selected and designed to meet the strict requirement of single-origin single fibers that enable end-of-life recycling of the 501®.
100% cotton was used for those parts of the jeans, such as inner pockets, labels and hems, which are normally made of synthetic polyester. This removed unnecessary polluting elements that would have prevented the cotton from being recycled. The result is jeans that are not only once created from older ones, but can easily be transformed into new ones. And so on and on.
And why is it so important?
The fashion world needs better and more renewable examples. Although cotton is a natural material, it has its limits. The growing number of farms growing industrial cotton means increasing demands on water, land and other natural resources. Just as the increasing demand for clothing requires a solution that would not cause further damage.
Since 2015, Levis has used the Levi’s® WELLTHREAD collection for laboratory testing of new approaches that would introduce renewables into the mainstream of the fashion industry. In July 2021, the brand partnered with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Jeans Redesign Project with a plan to expand our portfolio of recyclable products. The new 501® renewable jeans are the first product to meet EMF’s Jeans Redesign Guidelines.
Origin of Circulose material
Swedish startup Renewcell has been dealing with textile recycling options since 2012. A year and a half ago, they opened a recycling line near Stockholm that can produce 4.5 thousand tons of fiber called Circulose® per year. It is a raw material that only comes from textile waste. That amount is enough for approximately 20 million T-shirts.
Water, chemicals and energy, which are needed in the production of 501®, were also thought of. Chemicals are captured and reused in the Renewcell recycling process. The water used is only a fraction of the volume required to grow organic cotton. Everything takes place under the strict regulations of the Swedish government and the EU, which also apply to the waste material used.
Photo source: Levis
Source: www.luxurymag.cz
