To Road to Sustainable Fashion with MUD Jeans

Sustainable fashion has garnered a wider audience in recent years. Sustainable fashion also comes under the one of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations that lies at the centre of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. These goals were adopted by the Member States of United Nations in the year 2015. Of all the important goals covering different aspects, Goal 12 calls for “sustainable production and consumption of patterns”. The fundamental changes in which we as a society produce and consumer resources can have a significant impact on the world at large. This aligns and is very important in the fashion industry as an ever-growing industry it produces alarmingly high carbon emissions, water wastage and textile wastage and farming wastage every year.

As a fashion enthusiast and environment lover, I believe it is important for us to become conscious about environment friendly fashion. What better place to learn about sustainable fashion than speaking with the frontrunners in circular denim, MUD Jeans? Utilising over 30 years of experience of working in fashion industry, Mr. Bert van Son founded MUD Jeans in the year 2012. Based in Netherlands, it is a sustainable and fair-trade certified denim brand. Three indispensable values that the brand stands by are circular economy, fair-trade, and positive activism. Among other benefits, each pair of jeans created by them has over 40% recycled denim from waste created during production or post-consumer usage; this ensures waste reduction. Speaking to the Journal, Ms. Danique Gunning who is a marketeer at MUD Jeans suggested that the easiest way for a someone new to ease into sustainable fashion is

“Buy less, choose better. Sounds cliché but it’s so true. Go for natural fibres, recycled materials and organic cotton if possible.”

MUD Jeans was founded in 2012, here is a quick recap of their spectacular journey in their own words,

“At MUD Jeans our mission is to live in a world without waste. As a Circular Denim Company, we use the Lease A Jeans model to lend out our material in the shape of jeans and request for it to be returned at the end of its life. Through this approach we can take responsibility for the end of life of the fabric and ensure that it does end up in a landfill. As part of our circular business model, we have extended this through the repair service that we offer and the vintage collection that we have created with the returned jeans that remain in good condition. Not only do we ensure that our product doesn’t end up in a landfill, we also design the product waste consciously. We don’t do seasons and only produce based on demand. All fabric waste during stitching is collected and sold to other facilities to be used as stuffing.”

MUD Jeans has made a significant impact as a clean fashion brand and continues to expand its horizon. Talking about the recent accolades of the brand, Danique said,

“We are soon launching our new Life Cycle Assessment and an updated Sustainability Report. We believe you can only really state to be a sustainable brand if you know the numbers. Therefore, we partnered up with Ecochain with whom we measure every little detail of our jeans, knowing the exact impact of them in terms of water, CO2 and biodiversity. MUD Jeans only works together with carefully selected manufacturers. They are selected based on the high quality of their products, ethical standards and because we trust them in promoting safe working conditions. Together we are responsible for creating a safe working environment for everybody involved in the making of our jeans.
The current most exciting project we’re working on is the ‘Road To 100’, which is a special breaking the barriers project. In collaboration with some very cool scientists from Saxion University and funded by Tech for Future we aim to bring the world’s first pair of jeans made 100% from post- consumer recycled cotton. Achieving this would take us a big step further in being 100% circular. And just imagine the environmental benefits.”

Becoming a pioneer sustainable brand come with its own struggles as Danique mentioned,

“One of the main challenges is scaling up. While Lease A Jeans was an instant media hit and while the interest for the circular economy is growing a lot! Only look at Google Search: now there are 110.000 searches for ‘circular economy’ compared to 74.000 last year. The challenge is: behavioural change. People should not only talk but act sustainably to really make sustainable choices. COVID is pushing more people towards living more consciously and we notice that shift with which we are very happy”

If you are someone you would like to start leading a more sustainable fashion life, Danique from MUD Jeans recommends,

“Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.“I personally think the best advice is to look for a relationship with nature. Spend some time in nature and realize that we have to take care of this beautiful planet. And you can simply do it by voting with your wallet, because every euro you spend is a vote for the world you want to live in.”

This article stems from an interview with Ms. Danique Gunning, the Marketeer at MUD Jeans. For more information about MUD Jeans please visit their website: MUD Jeans

By Prerna Deep