Yes, Jeans Are Bad For The Environment – But This Is How We Can Counteract The Social & Environmental Harms Of Denim 

Jeans are the ultimate wardrobe chameleon. They’re the silent MVP we all rely on – whether it’s dressing up for a night out, dialling down for a weekend stroll or giving that ‘business casual’ vibe a run for its money at the office. In fact, at any moment, more than half the world’s population are wearing them, and billions are sold each year. But denim – jeans included – comes with a hefty social and environmental cost, one we can no longer overlook. 

What makes denim so harmful to the environment? Well, let’s start with what makes denim, denim: the iconic blue colour. Originally, natural indigo was used to dye denim, however – thanks to mass production methods – cheaper, petroleum-based synthetic indigo replaced it in the early 1900s and now the denim industry uses more than 50,000 tonnes of it per year. And chemicals such as formaldehyde and cyanide are in the mix too, used during production to make the dye itself and prevent bacteria growth and staining.

If all those chemicals are released into local waterways after manufacturing, they can starve aquatic life of oxygen, killing the natural ecosystem – and the issue with water doesn’t end there. Levi’s found that a single pair of 501 Jeans uses as much as 3,781 litres of water in a lifecycle, while researchers at the University of Toronto discovered that one pair of used jeans can release around 56,000 microfibres (tiny strands of material) per wash. The issue is that these fibres are discarded with the wastewater from the wash, flowing into rivers, oceans and environments.

Then there’s the manufacturing process: a single pair of jeans has a heavy carbon footprint, including the production, daily wear and disposal. Levi’s also found that 33.4 kg of carbon dioxide (CO2) is released throughout the lifetime of a pair of jeans – with 16.2 kg of CO2 estimated to be from the creation and packaging process. And Oxfam found that the emissions produced from making enough jeans for UK adults is comparable to flying a plane around the globe 2,372 times, or a petrol car travelling more than 21 billion miles.

Understandably, these figures mean we often focus on the environmental impact of denim – but the industry also has a lot to answer for when it comes to the treatment of its workers. Take the treatments being applied to the denim fabric – all in the name of design – which are impacting workers’ health. For example, if you opt for a pair of ‘worn-in’ jeans, the fabric may have been sandblasted – is a process that can cause workers to contract respiratory issues and silicosis, a long-term lung disease caused by inhaling large amounts of abrasive silica dust.

Then there’s the inescapable link between cotton, which denim is made from, and Uyghur forced labour. It is estimated that more than one million Uyghurs – the largest minority ethnic group in Xinjiang, China – have been detained in ‘re-education camps’ , with more than of half a million working on seasonal cotton picking under conditions that, according to the BBC, “appear to raise a high risk of coercion”.

With all this in mind, is it time we gave up on denim? Not necessarily – but we do need to pay attention and put pressure on brands and retailers who have the power to make things better. Thankfully, some are already putting in the work, creating a lower-impact denim industry better fit for the future. Take Levi’s – a brand synonymous with denim, which introduced its ‘Water<Less’ jeans in 2011, which can save up to 96% of water compared to conventional production. Then there’s Pangaia’s nettle denim – PANettle is made from nettle fibres and organic cotton, with production methods that support farmers in off-seasons, use less water, and it’s traceable. Pretty impressive.

Beyond labels, there are simple steps we can take to reduce our impact on the planet and its people – starting with more mindful shopping and ownership. Here are five ways to wear denim while keeping its environmental and social footprint in check...

1. Wash Your Jeans Less

Turns out, we’re all washing our jeans far too often. Of course, it depends on how frequently you wear them, your activity levels and the environment you’re in, but a good rule to follow is to wash them every 3-10 wears (ideally at the latter end of this scale, or once a month if you wear them regularly). Not only will this help prevent microfibres entering our waterways, it will actually make your jeans last longer, and fade less, too. (This study from the Univerity of Alberta found that the bacteria levels in a pair of jeans was the same when they were worn for two weeks as a pair that was worn every day for 15 months – do with this information what you will!)

2. Check Your Fabrics

If you are shopping for new jeans, look for ones made using organic or BCI-standard cotton – ideally sourced from rain-fed crops, as irrigated cotton production uses anything from 7,000 to 10,000 litres of water to create one kilogram of cotton. Or, look to alternative materials with less environmental impact, such as linen (which doesn’t require irrigation) or Tencel, which is created from wood pulp. Also try to avoid buying styles with an overly distressed or washed finish, as these have a shorter production process that uses less water – and therefore has less impact on the planet.

3. Try To Avoid Synthetic Materials

A lot of synthetic denim uses PVA glue (a micro plastic) to not only fix the dye in place, but to also create stretch fabric, which take hundreds of years to break down Heritage Italian denim manufacturer Candiani tackled this with Coreva – the world’s first compostable stretch denim fabric. At the end of its life, the fabric can be returned to nature, acting as a fertiliser for new cotton. Brands including Hiut, Denham and Stella McCartney have embraced the fabric. Then there’s the dye: only 15% of denim mills worldwide use liquid (natural) indigo, as it’s more expensive, but it’s far better for the planet. Brands such as Candiani have turned to Kikotex, an innovative technology which removes PVA from the dyeing process completely, using 30% less energy, 50% less water and 70% less chemicals than the regular dyeing process.

4. Shop Secondhand

Once again, vintage shopping proves to be a great option when it comes to reducing environmental impact – often providing a cost-friendly alternative to buying new, and means you aren’t encouraging more wasteful production with your purchase. Try your local charity shops (there’s always a host of denim on offer) or even resale platforms such as Vinted or Depop for secondhand buys that are new to you. And if trawling through vintage stores isn’t your thing, turn to brands such as ELV Denim and Revival London, which take a zero-waste approach: upcycling, patchworking and reworking denim into everything from reimagined jeans to corsets and bags.

5. Watch Your Waste

Don’t throw away your old denim when you’re done. In the UK, around 7kg of fashion waste per person goes to landfill yearly, with 300,000 tonnes of clothes going in household rubbish bins. Instead, donate your old clothing to charity, sell it online or upcycle it into something new to prevent adding to landfill – which contributes to air and water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and land degradation. There’s also the option to repair old or damaged denim – either yourself, or brands such as Nudie Jeans, Ganni and Iron Heart offer free repairs for life. And, although they’re not free, you can also get repairs via brands including Levi’s and Uniqlo. 

Sophie Benson is a freelance journalist covering fashion through the lens of the environment and human rights. She’s the sustainability columnist for Dazed and writes for publications including Vogue, AnOther and i-D