Levi's plans to use hemp in jeans

Because of hemp’s misunderstood association with marijuana, it’s been illegal to grow it the cannabis plant in the United States for more than 80 years. But the Hemp Farming Act allowed the super plant to be seen as an agricultural crop once again, and for United States farmers to grow the crop, giving American clothing manufacturers a more affordable source of hemp fiber. Hemp production allows companies to provide clothing that uses far less water and to produce far less carbon dioxide.

The cotton water footprint of jeans production is a big issue, especially in countries affected by water scarcity. About four billion people, nearly two-thirds of the world's population, experience severe water scarcity for at least one month every year. If companies don't act now on creating sustainable clothing, the problem will increase. In response, Levi’s has a cottonized hemp collection that uses a blend of 77% cotton and 23% hemp. The unique blend guarantees an authentic look and softer feel that also reduces water requirements by less than a quarter.

Even though Levi’s has put an effort into creating more sustainable clothing, the company has stated it still has more work to do by using more hemp and replacing conventional cotton. By growing hemp instead of conventional cotton, farmers can potentially save 218 billion liters of water and 92.5 million kg of carbon dioxide every year, according to the Textile Exchange. With sustainable clothing on the rise, hemp has the potential to be a great option, for it is a fast growing crop, is biodegradable, and requires little water to grow on non-fertile land. Consequently, hemp clothing can meet high global demands.