Our house is on fire. And it will take more than talk to put our planet back on track.
That’s why we’re proud of our employees across Europe who have stepped up to the challenge, from raising funds for environmental nonprofits to educating youth on sustainable design. Check out what they’ve been up to this past summer.
Germany
At Hurricane, one of Germany’s largest summer musical festivals, the Levi’s® brand made sustainability the center of the party. To incorporate recycling into the brand experience, the team not only sold pre-owned items but also repurposed a shipping container into a shop, and turned denim pieces into sun beds and changing room curtains for festival visitors. The best part: all proceeds from the second-hand sale and other activities were donated to Viva con Agua, a nonprofit dedicated to improving drinking water supply in developing countries.
Italy
Levi’s® Italy hosted a recycling workshop session at the Instituto Europeo di Design (IED), a design school in Milan, to share our sustainability message with the next generation of creators. They also set up a Water<Less® booth at the event to increase brand visibility.
Turkey
Surrounded by four seas, our employees in Turkey wanted to do more to protect their beaches – starting with a coastal cleanup day on Kinaliada Island. The event was co-hosted by Şahika Ercümen, a world record-holding diver, and organized in partnership with the Turkish Marine Environment Protection Association, who educated the volunteers on waste prevention, reduction and recycling. Together, the team of 65 people collected over 65 kilograms (143 pounds) of trash, restoring the beach to pristine condition.
France
To promote our Water<Less® collection, Levi’s® France partnered with Galeries Lafayette to give their department stores in Paris, Nantes and Rennes a denim makeover. Mannequins were dressed head-to-toe in our eco-friendly Water<Less® pieces, pop-up displays were set up to describe our sustainability campaign, and consumers were encouraged to share their best water-saving practices. As of today, more than 67 percent of all Levi’s® products are made with Water<Less® techniques, reducing water use in the finishing process by up to 96 percent.
The Netherlands
With our vintage Levi’s® jeans and jackets beloved by second-hand fashion lovers, our Netherlands team knew they had an opportunity to embrace the circular economy. That’s why they collected the coolest vintage items and – with help from actor Willem de Bruin and rapper Pepijn Lanen – repaired rips and added statement paneling, giving the clothes a second life. The result was a 50-piece limited collection, 12 in collaboration with the Dutch artists, sold during the opening of our Levi’s® store in Hartenstraat. All proceeds went to emergency aid for refugees.
These activations are just one way we’re stepping up as a sustainability leader. To learn more about how we’re combating climate change, check out our Science-Based Targets and industry-leading Water Action Strategy.
