The Ellen MacArthur Foundation Released New Guidelines for Making Environmentally Friendly Denim

Kara Nesvig
Brands like H&M, Reformation and GAP have pledged to make their jeans more sustainable through new guidelines released by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

Everyone loves a great pair of jeans, but at what cost? Did you know it takes an estimated 1,800 gallons of water [to produce](https://www.treehugger.com/clean-technology/how-many-gallons-of-water-does-it-take-to-make.html) just one pair of jeans? The fashion industry is heading in a more [sustainable direction,](https://www.teenvogue.com/tag/sustainable-fashion) what with brands like Reformation, Stella McCartney, and Patagonia making a difference for the planet while keeping your wardrobe looking fresh, but there’s still a lot of work to be done.

On Tuesday, July 16, the [Ellen MacArthur Foundation](https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/) launched their Jeans Redesign Guidelines, part of their Make Fashion Circular initiative, and many of our favorite brands have signed on. According to the Foundation, the aim of the initiative is to “transform the way [these brands] produce jeans, tacking waste, pollution and the use of harmful practices.”

Brands like [Tommy Hilfiger,](https://www.teenvogue.com/tag/tommy-hilfiger) [H&M,](https://www.teenvogue.com/tag/h&m), GAP, and Lee Jeans have all joined forces with the Foundation and pledged to follow their guidelines when producing denim. Under the guidelines set by the Foundation, jeans must be durable and able to withstand a minimum of 30 home washes; must be produced using “cellulose fibers from regenerative, organic, or transitional farming methods” and free of hazardous chemicals; and must be easy to recycle.

"The way we produce jeans is causing huge problems with waste and pollution, but it doesn’t have to be this way,” says Make Fashion Circular lead Francois Souchet. “By working together we can create jeans that last longer, that can be remade into new jeans at the end of their use, and are made in ways which are better for the environment and the people that make them. This is just the start. Over time we will continue to drive momentum towards a thriving fashion industry, based on the principles of a circular economy.“

If a pair of jeans meets all requirements set by the foundation, they’ll be granted the use of the ‘Jeans Redesign’ logo. You’ll be able to find the first pairs of jeans created under these guidelines in 2020, making it even easier for you to look good — and feel good — in your clothing.

Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue