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According to Fast Company, Levi’s partnered with a Seattle-based startup called Evrnu to take old tees and morph them into new, high-quality thread. That thread is then used to make new jeans; it takes about five T-shirts, plus a little “virgin” thread to make one pair.
This isn’t the first time Levi’s has made eco-friendly moves. The company unveiled its WasteLess jeans in 2012, which contained fabric that was partly made of recycled plastic bottles. But their most recent efforts mark the first time anyone has made a nearly 100-percent recycled pair of jeans.
Here’s why that matters: According to Evrnu, a pair of jeans made out of 100 percent recycled materials would use 98 percent less water than denim made from new cotton. And less water usage = better for the environment.
Unfortunately, you can’t get your hands on a pair just yet. Right now, Levi’s just has a prototype, and they’re working to make it look and feel exactly like their other jeans on shelves now.
While the prototype contains some new cotton, Levi’s says they hope that they’ll be able to tweak the formula to be 100 percent recycled one day. “In the future, we see garments made purely from Evrnu fiber,” a Levi’s spokesperson tells Fast Company. Sweet.