Studies vary in their estimates and it depends on the farming, cotton, where it is grown, processes and companies but generally you’ll find it takes 4,500 – 10,000 litres of water to create a pair of jeans. It’s a lot. We love a good pair of jeans as much as anybody but we live by cost-per-wear on these. Getting good quality ones that will last years and years and years (as denim is designed to do) helps enormously. You also don’t need to wash them in the machine so often!
You can easily repair jeans and brands like Nobody Denim even provide repair stations to extend their life. Companies like Levi are also working on using recycled water for their production. And as ever, buying second hand is an excellent option. We love thrifting shops and sites too as you can usually find people selling great quality in your local area. Water is increasingly a scarce resource so becoming aware of how much water your every day items and food takes to produce really opens your eyes up to how much water you truly consume each day (well beyond a shower, drinking and toilet flushing!).
