Levi Strauss & Co. to Eliminate Thousands of Chemical Formulations from Supply Chain as Part of Major Sustainability Breakthrough

Global jeanswear leader introduces digital manufacturing capability
that will eliminate potassium permanganate and other chemicals that have
been used industrywide for decades in jeans finishing

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.) today announced a transformative new
operating model that will create a more sustainable supply chain and a
cleaner jean. Called Project
F.L.X. (future-led execution), this new model replaces manual
techniques and automates the jeans finishing process, allowing the
company to reduce the number of chemical formulations used in finishing
from thousands to a few dozen.

Traditionally, denim finishing – which creates worn, faded design
elements on jeans – has been a highly manual, labor-intensive and
chemical-reliant process. Digitization enables a responsive and
sustainable supply chain at an unparalleled scale.

"Thirty years ago, jeans were only available in three shades: rinsed,
stonewashed and bleached. Today those three shades have exploded into
endless variations, all produced with very labor-intensive jobs and long
lists of chemical formulations," said Bart Sights, vice president of
technical innovation at Levi Strauss & Co. and head of the company's
Eureka Innovation Lab. "We're designing a cleaner jean for the planet
and the people who make Levi's® jeans, and we're doing it on a scale
that no one else has achieved to date."

This new operating model is a major step forward in LS&Co.'s commitment
to achieving zero
discharge of hazardous chemicals by 2020 and
accelerates the elimination of many chemical formulations that the
company's Screened
Chemistry program identified as "phase outs." Among the chemicals
that will be eliminated is potassium permanganate, an oxidizer that is
used industrywide to replicate authentic vintage finishes.

"This is a significant win for the industry," said Robert Strand,
executive director for the Berkeley-Haas Center for Responsible
Business. "It's inspiring to see how LS&Co. used constraints to drive
innovation, paving the way for a more sustainable apparel industry. This
is an important step forward that I hope others will follow."

Beyond eliminating many chemicals, Project F.L.X. is expected to reduce
textile waste by more accurately making what the market needs and may
also provide the opportunity to save water in the future. The company
has already proved it can use nearly 100 percent recycled water in the
final manufacturing stages with Project F.L.X. and is exploring the
possibility of rolling out this water recycling capability more broadly
over time.

To help unlock the benefits of digitally enabled design and development,
LS&Co. turned to long-standing partner Jeanologia, a leader in
eco-efficient solutions for fabric and garment finishing. Since 1993,
Jeanologia has operated with the ambition of advancing sustainable
apparel manufacturing by delivering disruptive technologies, including
ozone, laser and e-flow finishing systems. The company's like-minded
focus on scalability was essential to supporting LS&Co.'s end-to-end,
transformative vision.

For more information about Project F.L.X., view the press release on LeviStrauss.com.

About Levi Strauss & Co.

Levi Strauss & Co. is one of the world's largest brand-name apparel
companies and a global leader in jeanswear. The company designs and
markets jeans, casual wear and related accessories for men, women and
children under the Levi's®, Dockers®, Signature by
Levi Strauss & Co.™, and Denizen® brands. Its products
are sold in more than 110 countries worldwide through a combination of
chain retailers, department stores, online sites, and a global footprint
of approximately 2,900 retail stores and shop-in-shops. Levi Strauss &
Co.'s reported fiscal 2017 net revenues were $4.9 billion. For more
information, go to http://levistrauss.com.

Contacts

Levi Strauss & Co.
Amber McCasland, 415-501-7777
[email protected]