Levi’s Joins the Circular Economy

Levi’s has just launched a re-commerce site called Levis Second Hand, which is a major contribution to the sustainable fashion world and circular economy.  Some of the pieces on the re-commerce site will be hand selected vintage pieces, but most will come from previous customers’ collections. Levi’s guarantees an instant gift-card return program for every piece brought back to the company for resale.

TRADE IN LEVI’S

If the pieces are not up-to resale standards, a minimum of a $5 gift card will be given, and then the denim will be recycled either way. Used jeans and jackets in average condition will be generally valued at a return of $15 to $25 dollars. The value of high quality items and vintage pieces over 20 years old will be valued at $30 to $35 generally. Levi’s has partnered with a startup e-commerce company called Trove which will help handle the backend development of the return program from the refurbishing of the products all the way to marketing on the companies second-hand site page.

A SECOND HAND BRAND

Since Levi’s has been a brand name and a coveted item in a thrift shopper’s search, it is not hard for the denim brand to jump on the bandwagon of sustainability. Head marketing officer for Levi’s, Jennifer Sey, spoke about the second hand program Levi’s has created for itself to WWD last Sunday. “We already have the dominant share of the vintage and secondhand jeans market,” Sey said. “ If we all chose to buy a used pair of Levi’s instead of a new pair, it would save 80 percent of CO2 emissions, and about 1.5 pounds of waste.”