US denim label Levi’s has revised what is probably the most iconic product in its range, the Levi’s 501 Original. But don’t worry – nothing has changed in terms of fit, color and cut; the innovation lies in the material. The new Levi’s 501 is made from organic cotton and recycled denim and is end-of-life thinking because it’s designed to be recyclable itself.
The development is part of Levi’s ongoing partnership with Swedish sustain-tech company Renewcell and builds on last year’s collaboration on the Wellthread line, which includes the men’s 502 and women’s High Loose made from the same materials have been done. In both cases, a blend of Renewcell’s revolutionary Circulose fibre, sustainably produced viscose partly made from recycled denim and organic cotton, was used.
Recyclable 501 builds on Wellthread line
“Last year’s collaboration with Renewcell on our Wellthread line showed that it really is possible to find a man-made cellulose fiber made from recycled denim that is strong and durable enough to meet our quality standards. This was not possible with mechanically recycled denim up to that point,” explains Paul Dillinger, VP of Design Innovation, in a press release.
“Now we’re taking that innovation and applying it to a garment that rightly deserves to be called an absolute cult classic: the 501. It shows just how serious we are about circularity. Our circular 501 jeans will not only last as long as they did before, they also expect a second, third or fourth life as new garments,” adds Dillinger.
Circular 501 uses fewer resources and chemicals
By manufacturing these jeans, Levi’s ensures that significantly fewer natural resources and chemicals are used, which is part of the company’s environmental strategy. In addition, all garment components normally made from synthetic fibers such as polyester pockets, threads, labels and fasteners have been replaced with 100 percent cotton alternatives.
“As part of our ongoing research and development, we strive to improve our design practices and conserve environmental resources. By embracing sustainable innovation, we’re learning what’s possible and working towards solving some of our biggest challenges,” said Una Murphy, Levi’s director of design innovation.
“We are still at the very beginning of a real circularity movement in the apparel industry. But it is precisely here that circularity is essential in view of the high consumption of resources and volume of waste. By producing our signature 501 jeans with recycled materials and in a way that makes them recyclable themselves, we hope to prove to ourselves and the industry that it really is possible to make more sustainable products that use less resources, but it’s still awesome look and also meet the highest quality standards,” concludes Dillinger.
The Swedish start-up Renewcell has been working on a solution for the reuse of textile waste since 2012. A year and a half ago, it opened a fabric waste recycling plant outside of Stockholm that can produce up to 4,500 tons of circulose annually – enough to make more than 20 million T-shirts. Following the successful Nasdaq IPO in November 2020, the company is now building a second manufacturing facility 10 times larger than the existing one.