Should We Give Up Jeans? How Denim Harms Nature and What to Do About It

Environmentalists have long been sounding the alarm, claiming that the fashion industry causes irreparable harm to the environment. Some researchers argue that the greatest danger to the environment is everyone's favorite denim. Do those, who want to protect nature, must abandon comfortable and practical jeans?

It is believed that the manufacturing process of denim really has a very negative effect on the ecological situation in the world. According to rough estimates, the cultivation of cotton to create just one pair of jeans takes about ten thousand liters of water. And in order to give the fabric an aged design or dark blue color, some brands use the harmful substances that are dangerous not only for nature, but for the production staff.

To solve this problem, last month representatives of famous brands organized a special summit in Copenhagen. They tried to find a way out of the situation and came up with "Jeans Redesign". This initiative was launched by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. It is assumed that it will regulate the manufacturing process of denim and will set strict standards for the brands.

It is planned that a new generation of jeans that will be marked with special marking "Jeans Redesign" will be released in the fall. They are made of a special fabric that can be reused in production. In addition, representatives of the initiative promise to create jeans out of the tissue, which rapidly degrades.

However, in order to improve the situation, brands’ efforts are not enough: customers can also contribute. To do this, when buying a new pair of jeans, you should follow the principles of conscious consumption. For example, instead of buying new jeans, try to find a matching pair in seconds-hand. Also pay attention to the labels: often brands indicate that their products are made of fabric that can be recycled.