M&S launches sustainable selvedge denim jeans

M&S has launched sustainable selvedge denim jeans. These jeans have been manufactured with lower environmental impact in terms of its overall energy use, and used sustainable finishes, whilst focusing on the style and quality. For sustainable innovation, the company worked with Jeanologia, which specialises in sustainable technologies.

Jeanologia has also developed the Environmental Impact Measuring (EIM) software, which is a tool to analyse the environmental impact in the washing process. It is divided into three categories; low, medium and high impact. The benchmark score of EIM for a pair of jeans is 33 or less for low impact.

The sustainable selvedge denim jeans by M&S have scored 21 EIM. "We worked hard to engineer the colour of the fabric to be dyed as close as possible to the desired finished look, and then used a washing process that used less time in the machine compared to a standard wash, which meant less water, less energy and fewer chemicals were used. Now, we are working towards reducing this score across more of our ranges," said the company in a statement.

The UK retailer also launched a sustainability plan - Plan A, which will support 1,000 communities, help 10 million people live happier, healthier lives and convert M&S and its supply chains and products into a zero-waste business. By 2025, every product of M&S will have attributes which will address all priority social, ethical and environmental impacts.