The two companies announced the new initiative today which involves Levi's including another tag on their clothes with messaging about the project and encouraging consumers to reduce waste be donating their used clothes.
The actual consumer communication will begin in January of 2010, and Levi's will be the first major retailer to include end of life messaging on their clothing products. The new initiative is aimed at diverting some of the 23.8 billion pounds of clothing and textiles that end up in U.S. Landfills every year. The company will promote the program through standard retail promotions as well as launching a viral marketing campaign through social media and web 2.0 outlets.
The tag also includes sustainably based care options - the company says that the carbon footprint of a pair of jeans can be reduced by as much as 50% by washing less, washing in cold water, and line drying.
John Anderson, President and CEO of Levi Strauss & Co said "As a company built on values, we have long worked to promote sustainability in how we make our products and run our operations. This initiative uses our global voice to empower hundreds of millions of consumers around the world to join us by providing simple and actionable ways to help care for our planet."
Published Oct 21, 2009 8pm EDT / 5pm PDT / 1am BST / 2am CEST