Is Levi's Sustainable? [+ 5 More Ethical Levi’s Alternatives]

Levi’s is pretty much THE jeans brand, isn’t it?

Its parent company, Levi Strauss & Co., was founded all the way back in 1853, and its jeans became more and more iconic throughout the years.

Is Levi’s sustainable thought? 

We believe that, if you’re looking for fairtrade jeans, there are definitely some more ethical denim brands out there (we’ve rounded up our favourites for you!).

But let’s first look at both the good and bad of this iconic company.

So, how sustainable are Levi's jeans? And is Levi’s an ethical brand? 

Ethical and sustainable pros of Levi’s jeans

Denim is actually one of the most polluting aspects of the fashion industry. 

This is due to its energy- and chemical-intensive process (especially to create that recognisable blue colour) and high water usage. We’re talking about 7,600 litres of water for a single pair of jeans!

Luckily, Levi’s is doing something about it.

• Lower-impact materials – Levi’s jeans mostly involve organic, recycled, or Better Cotton 
• Water – They’re trying to rely on more Water<Less® facilities with strict water-saving guidelines
• Education and circularity – Levi’s often encourages consumers to treat their jeans as durable—for example, through their Buy Better, Wear Longer campaign—and even take them back so that they can be recycled (although the latter is only available in the US) 

Ethical and sustainable cons of Levi’s jeans

At the same time, Levi’s often hides dodgy supply chains.

• Accidents and scandals – There have been several problems throughout the years, like its pollution scandal in South Africa. Also, in 2012, the Toxic Threads investigation by Greenpeace called out Levi’s for using toxic chemicals and dumping them into bodies of water 
• Lack of transparency – Levi’s only scored 51-60% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index and 30 in the Know the Chain benchmark (lower than Primark!). So, there isn’t enough evidence that they protect workers’ rights and pay them fair wages throughout their supply chain
• Refusal to sign the International Accord – To date, despite several protests, requests and pressure, Levi’s keeps refusing to join +170 fashion brands in signing an important international accord. This is to protect fashion workers’ health and safety in Bangladesh and Pakistan. Instead, they insist on relying on their brand-led safety programmes. Unfortunately, as proven by several accidents (like the deadly Rana Plaza collapse in 2013), these types of programmes just aren’t as transparent and effective. For example, in January 2022, 4 garment workers died after a gas leak at one of the Karachi factories used by Levi’s

So, how sustainable are Levi’s jeans?

Overall, we’d say that, from an environmental point of view, Levi’s jeans are fairly sustainable: they’re made to last and often involve organic or recycled cotton.

However, based on what we’ve seen and what other brands have concluded, we believe that the main problem with Levi’s is that they’re not doing enough to protect their garment workers and ensure they’re paid fair wages.

So, they’re not as ethical as you might have thought. 

5 more ethical and sustainable Levi’s alternatives

Would you rather rock denim jeans that are both eco-friendly and made by workers who are paid fair wages? Then, here are some more ethical jeans brands and Levi’s alternatives. TIP: You can easily browse through all sustainable jeans for women, men or kids from ethical brands in our shopping section.

1. MUD Jeans 

This is one of the most resourceful and sustainable Levi’s alternatives!

MUD Jeans rely on GOTS certified organic cotton and recycled cotton. They also use a closed water loop to save an average of 6,419 litres of water per pair of jeans!

On top of that, they use a supplier that pays living wages and has a union (mostly women-led) to protect their workers.

You’ll find a wide range of timeless denim garments, from jeans to skirts and jumpsuits.

2. Dawn Denim

Many people rave about hemp as a sustainable material. But, have you ever seen jeans made from hemp? Well, meet this Levi's alternative called DAWN denim!

Besides impeccable aesthetics, the brand uses materials like hemp and organic cotton to create denim. They even have a zero-stretch option, meaning it’s the type of heavy denim you’ll encounter in vintage stores still looking amazing after 30+ years.

To make the brand even better, DAWN works with their own factory in Vietnam. In this way, they can ensure good working conditions and a living wage.

3. Kings of Indigo

Entirely vegan, this Levi’s alternative is a classic jeans brand focusing on both environmental and social responsibility (without compromising on style).

They use eco-friendly fabrics like recycled and organic cotton, hemp, and linen. They also rely on green energy for 40-50% of their production.

To protect their garment workers, they’re part of the Fair Wear Foundation and incredibly transparent about their entire supply chain. 

You can choose from a range of denim pieces and other garments with a streetwear flair.

4. Kuyichi

This Levi’s alternative only uses organic cotton and is always looking for new ways of making their production more sustainable (like including recycled materials whenever possible).

They choose their suppliers carefully from seed to garment, and they only rely on factories that are audited and certified by third parties. 

As well as traditional denim jeans, they offer a few different types of garments and colourful designs, too.

5. Fanfare the Label

As well as being one of the most ethical Levi’s alternatives, this is also a fantastic made-to-order clothing brand: many of their items are specially made just for you, reducing overproduction and waste.

Fanfare strives for a circular approach, using deadstock materials and choosing post-consumer denim (especially by Levi’s!) whenever possible.

And it’s not going unnoticed, as they have already been featured in Vogue!

Find more ethical Levi’s alternatives and sustainable jeans

At Project Cece, we brought hundreds of fair trade brands in one place.

Of course, that includes lots of jeans and denim garments!

So, use our filters to narrow down your choices and find the best Levi’s alternatives for your style and ethos.