Levi's

Life Cycle Analysis and Sustainability Report

- Levi Strauss & Co. Jeans

(―Life Cycle of a Jean‖)

Scott Camp, Gordon Clark, Laura Duane & Aaron Haight

December 6, 2010

ENVS 195: Sustainability Science

Dr. Saleem Ali

Camp, Clark, Duane, Haight, and Tandan

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In 1853, in the height of the California gold rush, the first pairs of Levi Strauss and Co.

denim jeans were crafted for rugged durability. Since their introduction, Levi‘s denim blue jeans

have morphed into far more than ordinary ‗work pants‘ (Levi Strauss and Co., 2004). With

production beginning to grow in the 1920s and a boom in the use of their jeans in the 50s and 60s

within youth culture, the company is now a global entity and symbolizes global culture (Levi

Strauss and Co., 2004). Levi jeans are now present in all six populated continents, and are

produced in many different countries.

In the early nineties, due to competition outsourcing their production, Levi Strauss and

Co. followed suit and moved production overseas (Levi Strauss and Co., 2004). With providing a

global population on its ‗to-do‘ list, the company has greatly increased production since the

1990s, often with some detrimental impacts to not only the resource extraction process, but with

societal impacts as well.

Recently, Levi Strauss and Co. has begun a green campaign involving a sustainable

future, partnered with a line of green jeans crafted with organic cotton (Levi Strauss and Co.,

2004). Juxtaposed to this is evidence of extreme disregard on a production level for the

environment, and the company‘s employees. There are many important aspects of the life cycle

and ripple effects of the production of Levi Strauss denim jeans that will be discussed, focusing

on the effects of resource extraction, production, shipping, packaging, and ‗after-life‘ of jeans

when they are thrown away as waste. There are recommendations coming from corporate

employees and policy makers as well as consumers to help...