This is the story of how MUD Jeans:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Measures the impact of their different styles & washes;<\/li>\n
- How they improve their own environmental performance;<\/li>\n
- How their products compare to their competitors.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Sustainability is a mindset<\/h2>\n
For MUD Jeans, sustainability is a mindset. Even though they are much smaller than the big denim brands, it\u2019s a matter of responsibility. They started calculating their first footprints in 2015 \u2013 back when they didn\u2019t use recycled cotton.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, many things changed: Suppliers, materials, and processes improved largely over the course of the years.<\/p>\n
In 2019 it was time to recalibrate and calculate their footprint. Now \u2013 they do it annually.<\/p>\n
Methodology: What & how<\/h2>\n
MUD uses Ecochain\u2019s portfolio footprint solution (also known as Helix)<\/a> to fulfill three main goals:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Continuity: <\/strong>Annually measure the environmental footprint of their complete product portfolio, using the scientific method Life Cycle Assessment;<\/li>\n
- Portfolio analysis: <\/strong>With Ecochain, they want to measure the exact footprint of all their products \u2013 and find out specifically what style of jeans causes which impact.<\/li>\n
- Benchmarking: <\/strong>Compare MUD Jeans to their competitors. How would their circular jeans compare to other products in the market?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
\n\nHow do you measure the environmental footprints of products?<\/h3>\n
The standard scientific methodology to measure the environmental impact of a product is a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)<\/a>. LCA measures the environmental footprint of every phase in your product\u2019s lifecycle (from production to waste\/recycling\/upcycling).<\/p>\n
LCA results show 15+ impact categories for every phase in your product\u2019s lifecycle. For the sake of simplicity, most of the results in this case study show the impact category Global Warming Potential \u2013 also called carbon footprint, expressed in CO\u2082-eq.<\/strong><\/p>\n
In the LCA, MUD Jeans relied on\u00a0ReCiPe<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 an impact assessment method that translates emissions and resource extractions into aggregated categories.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ecochain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/How-does-LCA-Life-Cycle-Assessment-work-1.jpg\")
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): How it works \u2013 Ecochain<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \n\nCradle-to-Gate: From harvest to factory gate<\/h4>\n
In LCA, you can choose different scopes in which lifecycle phases you want to include in your LCA (image below). Of course, jeans get washed by their users. And washing requires energy. But in this analysis, MUD Jeans focused solely on the impact of their products \u201cfrom Cradle to Gate\u201d, so until the product gets shipped to the retailer or customer.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
![\"Ecochain_Infographic_ProductLifecycleStages\"](\"https:\/\/ecochain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Ecochain_Infographic_ProductLifecycleStages.jpg\")
The different Product Lifecycle Models in LCA<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n The results<\/h2>\n
The LCA results for MUD showed 5 main insights in terms of environmental impact, benchmarking & biodiversity. These results are from their 2019 LCA report<\/a>. Since then they recalculated their environmental footprint:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Find the full 2020 LCA report here.<\/a><\/li>\n
- Find the full 2021 sustainability report here.<\/a><\/li>\n
- Find the full 2022 LCA report here.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n1. Biggest impact hotspots: Cotton production & production processes<\/h3>\n
With 42%, the LCA showed that both the production of raw materials and the manufacturing processes have an equal share in MUD Jeans\u2019 overall impact.<\/p>\n
a.<\/strong> In the raw materials,<\/strong> the production of organic cotton accounts for the biggest share (36%) of the overall impact of MUD\u2019s jeans collection.<\/p>\n
In comparison, recycled cotton has a significantly lower impact. This is mainly because of the use of diesel and water for cotton harvesting \u2013 which is significantly higher for the production of organic cotton. When you use recycled cotton, this impact of production is significantly reduced of course \u2013 as no new cotton is produced.<\/p>\n
b. In manufacturing<\/strong>, continuous drying (22%) and spinning and weaving (22%) account for the biggest impact chunk.<\/p>\n
Deep dive: The impact hotspot of one pair of jeans<\/h4>\n
Ecochain software<\/a>\u00a0allows companies to also dive into the individual impacts of products. MUD Jeans are made up of certified organic cotton and recycled cotton only.<\/p>\n
When zooming in on one pair of jeans, the \u201cSkinny Hazen \u2013 Dip Dry\u201d style of jeans showed a clear hotspot of environmental impact. (images below)<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ecochain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Screenshot-2022-11-21-at-16.08.50.png\")
MUD\u2019s Skinny Hazen Dip Dry \u2013 Copyrights: MUD Jeans<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n The total impact of one Skinny Hazen jeans accounts for 6,3 kg CO\u2082-eq \u2013 that\u2019s about 300 cups of coffee, or 1,2 steaks. Not too bad for a product that will last you a long time, thanks to its quality! Its impact hotspots are:<\/p>\n
- \n
- #1 impact hotspot = Raw materials. <\/strong>With 53% of the total carbon footprint, the materials used accounted for the majority of the carbon footprint. The use of organic cotton alone accounted for more than half of the total impact! This is not surprising, as the jeans consist of more than 75% organic cotton.<\/li>\n
- #2 impact hotspot: Production processes.<\/strong> With 45%, the production processes are a very emission-heavy part of the value chain \u2013 with the biggest share of impact in the ironing process.<\/li>\n
- #3 impact hotspot = Transport. <\/strong>Transport only accounts for 2 % of the total carbon footprint.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n\n![\"Material](\"https:\/\/ecochain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Knipsel2.png\")
<\/a>1. Materials Carbon footprint of Skinny Hazen Jeans<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n ![\"Process](\"https:\/\/ecochain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Knipsel3.png\")
<\/a>3.<\/em> Process Carbon footprint of Skinny Hazen Jeans<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n![\"Material](\"https:\/\/ecochain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Knipsel4.png\")
<\/a>2.<\/em> Transport Carbon footprint of Skinny Hazen Jeans<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ecochain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Knipsel.png\")
<\/a>4. Total carbon footprint of Skinny Hazen Jeans.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n 2. 82% of water consumption comes from the raw material supply chain<\/h3>\n
MUD Jeans truly cares about the water depletion their products cause along the value chain. They already have a very low water consumption compared to other industry brands (see point 4 \u2018benchmarking\u2019). But want to reduce it every year. The LCA results show that 82% of the total water consumption comes from their raw materials supply chain. More specifically:<\/p>\n
- \n
- 75% of water consumption comes from the production of organic cotton<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- 22% comes from fabric loss in the production processes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
3. The wash and style of jeans influence the impact<\/h3>\n
\n\nComparing the different styles and washes helped a lot to understand which processes drive impact for MUD Jeans.<\/p>\n
One core concept behind MUD Jeans is that different styles are created through different washing techniques. MUD Jeans uses a very limited amount of different fabrics, which get used across many different styles. Using limited amounts of different fabrics helps reduce waste<\/strong> in the production process.<\/p>\n
The LCA shows the environmental footprint of their model \u201cDry Spirit\u201d washing technique is less than 22% of the \u201cWhale Blue\u201d wash!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
![\"Dyes](\"https:\/\/ecochain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/mudjeans_chemicals-1024x463-1.jpg\")
Image. Dyes used by MUD Jeans<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n \n\n4. Benchmarking: MUD Jeans emit 66% less CO\u2082-eq than a comparable product from Levi\u2019s<\/h3>\n
The analysis paid off. By measuring their impact, MUD Jeans can now compare their products to the industry standard. And they\u2019re doing pretty well.<\/p>\n
A pair of jeans from MUD Jeans emits 66% less CO\u2082-eq than a comparable product from Levi\u2019s. The water footprint is 80% lower, and land occupation 48% lower!<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ecochain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Screenshot-2022-11-21-at-15.13.09.png\")
How MUD jeans benchmark to other brands who share their LCA results.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n 5. Biodiversity at MUD Jeans: 57% better than the industry standard<\/h3>\n
Biodiversity is considered one of the biggest threats to humanity. Since 1970, the planet has lost more than 52 percent of its biodiversity. 80% of its wetlands. MUD Jeans wanted to understand how they can contribute to a healthier ecosystem on our planet.<\/p>\n
Within the calculation methods of ReCiPe it is possible to calculate the endpoint \u2018Ecosystem\u2019 in \u2018species per year\u2019.<\/p>\n
MUD Jeans compared different models based on their biodiverse performance. They found that their Regular Dunn True Indigo model performed a staggering 57% better than the industry standard.<\/strong><\/p>\n
On average, MUD Jeans have a 46% lower biodiversity impact than the industry standard!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ecochain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Bildschirmfoto-2020-08-13-um-15.32.01.png\")
Biodiversity analysis of MUD Jeans<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ecochain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Bildschirmfoto-2020-08-13-um-15.33.55.png\")
MUD Jeans Industry Benchmark<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n 100% circular and beyond.<\/h2>\n
With their LCA results, MUD Jeans can continuously measure their progress and innovate their products. Their impact hotspots show them exactl<\/strong>y where they have to focus their sustainability efforts for maximum impact reduction.<\/p>\n
Now that they have set a benchmark, MUD Jeans is improving its performance every year. Which means innovating their business model too. Less than 1% of the materials used to produce clothing are recycled into new clothing. The business model behind fast fashion is incredibly wasteful. Their program \u201cLease A Jeans<\/a>\u201d pioneered circular innovation in the fashion industry. And it\u2019s a big success.<\/p>\n
- 22% comes from fabric loss in the production processes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- #2 impact hotspot: Production processes.<\/strong> With 45%, the production processes are a very emission-heavy part of the value chain \u2013 with the biggest share of impact in the ironing process.<\/li>\n
- Find the full 2021 sustainability report here.<\/a><\/li>\n
- Portfolio analysis: <\/strong>With Ecochain, they want to measure the exact footprint of all their products \u2013 and find out specifically what style of jeans causes which impact.<\/li>\n
- Continuity: <\/strong>Annually measure the environmental footprint of their complete product portfolio, using the scientific method Life Cycle Assessment;<\/li>\n