US-based denim brand, Lee Jeans has developed Cradle to Cradle Certified jeans at the gold and bronze levels in partnership with Artistic Milliners, one of the world’s largest vertically integrated denim and apparel manufacturers.

The new range of selvedge jeans is circular by design, with every component being 100% recyclable due to the use of 100 percent organic cotton.

The Gold-certified Aureola and Bronze-certified Nymph jeans both passed the Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard version 3.1 requirements for certification by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute in all five performance categories: material health, material reuse, renewable energy and carbon management, water stewardship, and social fairness.

The classic five-pocket jeans were created at a facility that generates 524000 kWh of solar energy per year and employs textiles colored with a technique that uses 58% less water than traditional denim dyeing procedures. Furthermore, all of the buttons on the jeans are raw, virgin metal, which means they haven't been finished with any treatments, reducing energy consumption and eliminating the extra processing.

Jeff Frye, vice president of product development, innovation, sustainability, and procurement at Kontoor Brands, the parent company of Lee Jeans, said that at Lee, they are focused on discovering revolutionary routes to design and produce goods that minimize the effect on our planet. By achieving Cradle to Cradle Certification for the Aureola and Nymph designs, their customers can wear Lee Jeans with confidence, knowing that they are always enhancing the sustainability and circularity of their products for the benefit of people and the environment.

Murtaza Ahmed, managing director of Artistic Milliners, said that their cooperation with Lee on the creation of a Cradle to Cradle Certified collection of jeans is a fantastic example of the type of transformative research and development and innovation that can occur across the value chain.

Ahmed added that it allowed them to build a completely certified vertical garment using their current Cradle to Cradle Certified denim fabric as a springboard. The outcomes demonstrate their common commitment to a circular future for people and the planet by collaborating with brands that care about making a positive impact.