Eco-friendly textile production

Eco Friendly Textiles June 20, Eco friendly textiles Introduction Eco friendly fashion is becoming popular in recent times when everyone is thinking of going green. Levi’s Strauss is one company that has taken textiles manufacturing to the next level by making jeans that are environmentally friendly. The goal of this paper is to identify eco friendly textile production and social responsibility by producers, as well as how the products are used, handled and discarded.
Eco friendly products
The company has resolved to make jeans that have as little impact on the environment as they possibly can make. This is through the use of organic cotton, the kind that can decompose. The materials used in the making are very organic ranging from the fabric and dye to the buttons. The jeans are also called organic because the cotton used to make them is grown used organic means and is mainly grown in areas without access to these chemical fertilizers (Natural Choices, 2006, para. 4). Areas include West Africa where cotton is grown naturally with the conventional means of crop rotation.
Social responsibility
The creation was motivated by the choices made by consumers in regard to environmental impact. As a result, the line was launched despite facing challenges. Organic cotton is more expensive when compared to industrial cotton and, therefore, the company cannot make more of the jeans. Due to these factors, the textiles have a much higher price tag as compared to conventionally made ones.
In addition, the Levi’s jeans manufacturers have taken into account the plight of farmers who participate in the production of cotton. By doing this, the farmers from solely depend on cotton farming for a living have an opportunity to improve their ways of living (Natural Choices, 2006, para. 5). This is through having the company buy their products from them at the appropriate price for the trouble they have gone trough and for the quality they provide. This overcomes unfair trade practices that certain countries impose, which, in turn, compromise on the quality of life for these farmers.
Handling
Levi’s jeans company has created a way to instruct the consumer on how to take care of their products. This is by using recycled paper to print instruction using soy ink (Dunn, 2006, para. 1). In addition, the instructions are not just on how to clean but to clean them with lesser environmental impact and a message on recycling. Moreover, the recycling message encourages consumers to donate their worn out jeans to Goodwill than throw them out (Levi Strausse & Co., n. d., para. 1). To be more eco friendly, the company is removing the need for tags attached to their products and are, instead, going for an alternative option; printing the required information directly onto their products (Levi Strausse & Co., n. d., para. 3).
It is not just these measures that have made their products eco friendly, but these and a combination of others have. Some products, for example, have are made from the waste materials left behind by older ones that are worn out, and such products include: recycled zippers and buttons. These ensure that the environment is not polluted by making new ones that could easily be harvested from their predecessors. Also, rivets are being recycled instead of ending up in dumps (Dunn, 2006, para. 1).
Conclusion
Eco friendly textiles are on the rise and have a significant role to play in environmental conservation. Organic products by Levi’s are such examples and comply with most protocols of being eco friendly.

References
Natural Choices (2006). Levi’s Launches Organic 506 and 570’s Jeans. Retrieved on 20 June 2012 from http://www. naturalchoices. co. uk/Levi-s-launches-organic-506-and? id_mot= 2
Levi Strausse & Co. (n. d.). Background. Retrieved on 20 June 2012from http://www. levistrauss. com/sustainability/planet/materials
Dunn, C (2006). Levi’s Jeans Go Organic for Fall 2006. Retrieved on 20 June 2012 from http://www. treehugger. com/style/levis-jeans-go-organic-for-fall-2006. html