Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.) is deepening its commitment to sustainability through targeted action across key impact areas. The San Francisco-based company’s 2024 Sustainability Goals and Metrics Report shares its progress to reaching goals pertaining to waste reduction, circularity, responsible cotton sourcing, chemical management and more.
Here’s five takeaways from the data-driven report.
Waste
LS&Co is pursuing TRUE Zero Waste certifications for its company-operated facilities.
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The company’s distribution center in Henderson, Nevada earned TRUE Silver certification with a 95.2 percent waste diversion rate in 2023 into 2024. Similarly, the Northampton Distribution Center in the U.K. holds TRUE Certification and has diverted 90.8 percent of waste from landfills during the same period.
These recognitions support LS&CO.’s goal to achieve zero waste to landfill from company-operated facilities and 50 percent waste diversion across strategic suppliers by 2030. In 2024, LS&Co reports that key suppliers (which the company defines as suppliers covering more than 80 percent of its global product units) diverted 77 percent of waste from landfill—up one percent from the prior year.
Cotton
Climate change weighs heavy on LS&Co.’s sourcing. In 2024, Levi’s products were made with more than 80,000 metric tonnes of cotton. Cotton accounts for nearly 90 percent of the raw materials sourced annually for LS&Co. products.
Though the report notes how some climate modeling suggests that warming temperatures and rising CO2 concentrations may yield short-term benefits to cotton production, LS&Co. expects the frequency and severity of weather events to increase, potentially disrupting cotton supply and production.
The company aims to mitigate this risk through several programs such as being member of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, the science-based, farm-level pilot program focused on advancing sustainable cotton production in the U.S. and supporting Better Cotton Initiative and the Organic Cotton Accelerator.
“LS&Co.’s suppliers purchase cotton on a global scale and ensure redundancy within our supply chain to reduce potential risks associated with supply chain disruptions, including those caused by weather variability and other climate-related issues. Consistent with LS&Co.’s overall risk mitigation strategy, our supply chain is designed to be resilient. Any associated cost increases are expected to be absorbed into business-as-usual activities and are considered in our financial planning process,” the company states in the report.
Circularity
LS&Co. is closing in on a comprehensive plan to make the company “circular ready.” The company is working with a third-party consultant on a strategy that is primarily based on the Circular Economy framework and principles of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. By 2026, the company aims to have established governance for plan execution, defined methodology and actions to reach the goal, defined target years, project plans and KPIs and alignment and integration with the company’s overall business strategy.
Chemical management
In 2024, LS&Co. achieved Champion Level status under the 2025 ZDHC Brands to Zero Program, the highest performance tier under the initiative. The Champion Level is awarded to brands that meet defined thresholds across ZDHC key performance indicators, fulfill critical milestones in the Roadmap to Zero Program and demonstrate meaningful integration of ZDHC guidelines, platforms and solutions into both corporate strategy and value chain practices.
LS&Co. continues to work toward its goal of strategic garment wet finishing manufacturing and fabric mills use 100 percent certified Screened Chemistry by 2026. As of 2024, 78 percent of chemicals delivered or purchased by key supplier facilities for production aligned with ZDHC MRSL. Additionally, 22 percent of the key wet finishing facilities’ auxiliary chemicals used for LS&Co. were certified Screened Chemistry.
The company is taking steps to further educate and support suppliers’ chemical management. As of 2024, 92 percent of LS&Co.’s key wet finishing facilities were ZDHC Academy participating facilities. ZDHC Academy provides online and in-person sources on sustainable chemical management.
Resale
Levi’s resale program, Levi’s SecondHand, lost some of its momentum. In 2024, the re-commerce platform reclaimed or extended approximately 21,000 units of clothing and resold 8,000 units, serving around 5,000 consumers. In comparison, in 2023 the platform reclaimed 20,000 units of clothing and resold 10,000 units to 7,000 consumers.
