Green Cotton

Levi’s is revising their care tag to advise people to wash in cold water, line dry when possible and donate used jeans to Goodwill. This new initiative aims to put billions of pounds of unwanted clothing to good use instead of into landfill.

This partnership was reached through shared values held by each organization: Levi Strauss & Co.’s goal to reduce the environmental impact of its products and Goodwill‘s commitment to help communities recycle usable items while helping those in need. Starting next year, the Levi’s care tag will become the vehicle for delivering an environmentally conscious message for Goodwill.
The care tags will have other environmental reminders – the company studied every stage in the life cycle of a typical pair of 501 jeans and found that one of the greatest opportunities for reducing climate change and water impact happens after consumers take their jeans home. So, the tags will also encourage consumers to wash less, wash in cold water and line dry when possible, reducing the impact of their jeans ownership by about 50%.

The initiative was conceived by BBDO West, Goodwill of San Francisco’s pro bono agency, which came up with the unique idea to use care tags to communicate this message.

The new care tags will be available in Levi’s retail and wholesale operations the U.S. beginning in January 2010 and the regional and global tags will appear in clothes in Fall 2010.
The Levi’s brand, which will be the first major retailer to include messaging on product care tags that encourages people to donate unwanted clothing, and Goodwill will also spread the word to consumers through online viral campaigns and in retail store communications. Go Levi’s and Goodwill! Way to make a difference. Thumbs up from Green Cotton.

Photo source: Levis, Goodwill.

By: Julie Finkel