Levi’s workers around the world are wearing the same pair of unwashed pants this week for the Go WaterLess challenge. Shown above – A sponge, securely attached to someone’s jeans indicates if they wash them or not.
While they are unlikely to be announcing a partnership with Tide anytime soon, Levi Strauss & Co. is doing their bit to clean up the environment. In support of World Water Day today, the legendary San Francisco-based denim company is asking employees to change their laundry habits by challenging them to wear the same pair of pants five days in a row without washing them.
According to Michael Kobori, Levi’s Vice-President of Social and Environmental Sustainability, the idea is about conservation and sustainability, “Washing less means using less water and energy, says Kobori. “We did a scientific assessment of a pair of Levi’s® 501® jeans and Dockers® Original Khakis. And we found that some of the largest environmental impact happens in caring for your product after purchase. You can reduce the full lifecycle climate change impact of your jeans by up to 50 percent by washing your clothes less, washing in cold water and line drying,” he explains.
Letting people know that you don’t always have to wash your jeans after every wear, participating employees will receive a non-removable tag made of sponge on the first day to put on their jeans (the sponge tag will inflate if placed in water). In order to encourage spot cleaning as a way of avoiding the laundry a little longer, each Levis office will offer “cleaning stations” where employees can spot treat their denim.
Far from hiding their “dirty habits,” Levi’s employees have been uploading their photos each day to Instagram and Flickr to document their sustainable style and commitment to using less water. The three most stylish employees, chosen by Levi’s designers, will receive a $1,000 grant for the water organization of their choice. Check out their pictures above.
Could you wear the same pair of pants five days in a row? Just upload a picture of yourself each day this week wearing the same pair of jeans to Instagram and tag it #gowaterless.