12 Best Ethical Jeans & Sustainable Denim Brands
Our mission at Zero Wasted is to help you make more informed decisions when trying to buy more consciously - we do all the research so you don't have to. We sometimes use affiliate links on our site. We only recommend products we love, that we think you will too.
Denim without the destruction
The fashion industry is the second most polluting in the world, so where better to start making a change than with an everyday essential, jeans.
Buy better
Opt for jeans made from GOTS certified organic cotton, bamboo, recycled denim, or opt for second-hand. Always repair your jeans before thinking you need a new pair (some brands even offer free repairs). Faded, worn, ripped? The best worn jeans always tell a story.
Laundry less
Wear and break-in a new pair (six months of daily use without laundering). You only need to wash your jeans roughly once every six weeks,
or never according to Levi's CEO. To freshen them up and kill bacteria you can pop them in the freezer overnight or give them an airing outside.
Boycott the big boys
Avoid buying jeans that are unethically made and from the biggest polluters: Calvin Klein, Wrangler, Tommy Hilfiger, American Eagle, Lee, Guess, Primark, Hollister, Diesel, Pepe, Abercrombie & Fitch and jeans made by Sainsburys (TU), Tesco and ASDA (George).
What does sustainable denim mean?
The denim industry has a dirty secret.
Making a standard pair of jeans produces roughly the same emissions as driving a car for 50 miles, and leaves a water footprint of around 2,000 litres (yup, for just one pair)! So here's what to look out for in buying more sustainable denim:
Always a
GOOD DAY
for denim.
Best Sustainable Denim Brands
A good pair of jeans should be sustainably made and last you for years. Here's who we think do it best:
1. BAM
Best for bamboo and zero waste jeans
Sustainable jeans that are durable, soft and flexible. They use 74% less water than conventional jeans, and have no rivets with an un-screwable button, so once the zip is cut out, they can be fully recycled. Bamboo is not only super sustainable, but incredibly absorbent so it keeps you feeling fresh meaning you can wear your jeans longer between washes. The range is called 73 Zero, referencing the percentage of clothing that ends up in landfill or is incinerated along with highlighting BAM's commitment to becoming impact positive.
Price: £85.00
Range: Men and women
Delivery:
FREE delivery over £50
Made in: China (SMETA or BSCI audited)
🧵 GOTS certified organic cotton: ✘ GTOS is for fabric containing over 95% cotton. BAM uses 73% cotton+25% bamboo+2% elastane which is OCS (organic content standard) certified
🌱 Vegan patches:
No patches
♻️ Recycled: ✔ jeans can be fully recycled
🔄 Second-hand range: ✘
🪡 Free repairs: ✘
Reasons to 🧡
- The only jeans brand to use super sustainable bamboo
- Certified Ⓑ Corp
- Meet all requirements in The Jeans Redesign by The Ellen MacArthur Foundation - a blueprint for collective action
- Carbon positive company
- Detailed Annual Impact Positive Report
- Fair Wear member - for a fairer garment industry
Bamboo Clothing Discount Code:
- Get 10% OFF with
ZEROWASTED
2. Yes Friends
Best for ethical jeans only £50
⚠️ Small batch production means denim isn't continually in stock. Yes Friends are here to transform the fashion industry. Their jeans are made by the only manufacturer in the world rated 100/100 by the Fair Wear Foundation for their exceptional ethical standards. Every worker receives a living wage and you can even tip your garment worker directly to say thanks. So how are they so affordable? By perfecting and simplifying their classic cut range for batch production (which is why they'll sometimes be periodically out of stock). We're also in love with the washed out Black Denim Jackets and
organic t-shirts for only £12.
Price: from £50
Range: Men and women
Delivery:
£4 or FREE on £75+
Made in: Vietnam (Evolution3)
🧵 GOTS certified organic cotton: ✔ (or OCS)
🌱 Vegan patches:
No patches
♻️ Recycled: ✔ branded labels made from recycled polyester
🔄 Second-hand range: ✗
🪡 Free repairs: ✗
Reasons to 🧡
- They use super sustainable hemp
- Transparency on production, sustainability and ethics
- Living Wage factory + you can tip workers directly
- 100/100 Fair Wear Factory - for a fairer garment industry
- Circular economy - offcuts sold to make other products
3. Nudie Jeans
Best for supply chain transparency
Nudie Jeans originate from Sweden as a sustainability-oriented jeans brand. They cherish the well-worn and mended, and offer a free repair service for all their jeans, along with re-used and recycled collections to further close the loop on textile waste.
Price:
from £100.00
Range: Men and women
Delivery:
£7 or FREE over £50
Made in: Tunisia (65%), Italy (33%) or Portugal (2%)
🧵 GOTS certified organic cotton: ✔
🌱 Vegan patches:
✔
durable recycled jacron paper
♻️ Recycled: ✔ check out their range made with recycled fibres
🔄 Second-hand range: ✔ check out their Re-use collection
🪡 Free repairs: ✔ at their repair shops or get a free repair kit
Reasons to 🧡
- Detailed sustainability report and production guide
- Free repairs for life
- Leading Fair Wear member - for a fairer garment industry
- Some Fair Trade cotton sourced from Chetna Coalition
- You can leave old jeans at a Nudie Jeans store
- Material Change Index: 4 Leading
4. ASKET
Best for timeless jeans made in Italy
ASKET are all about creating the ultimate ethically made and sustainably permanent collection, no seasons, just thoughtful pieces to create the perfect capsule wardrobe. Their jeans are neither skinny nor boyfriend, not flared or bootcut, not a low cut nor a ''mom'' - They're a timeless, slightly tapered silhouette cut from Italian denim with a touch of stretch, basically the 'Goldilocks' of jeans. Pair with The T-Shirt and Recycled Cashmere Jumper for the ultimate weekend outfit.
Price: from £115
Range: Men and women
Delivery:
Free
Made in: Italy
🧵 GOTS certified organic cotton: ✔
🌱 Vegan patches:
✔ they don't use patches
♻️ Recycled: ✘ not the jeans themselves, but they take back ASKET clothing with their Revival Program and you'll get a reward value up to £20
🔄 Second-hand range: ✘
🪡 Free repairs: ✘ but they do offer a Repair Program
Reasons to 🧡
- Detailed transparency on all their production and factories
- Impact reporting
- Care, Repair and Revive with their Lifecycle Responsiblity
5. Fanfare
Best for upcycled + made to order jeans
Fanfare Label stand out for creating unique sustainable and repurposed denim pieces. They are driven by a circular business model and mission to transform the way we buy, emphasising transparency and waste reduction. Their ethically produced denim collection combines organic and post-consumer recycled materials with custom designs such as hand embroidery, paint and patchwork to craft jeans that are truly unique yet eco-friendly.
Price: from £130.00
Range: Women
Delivery:
£3.50 / Free £50+
Made in: UK & Portugal
🧵 GOTS certified organic cotton: ✔ (not upcycled)
🌱 Vegan patches: ✔
♻️ Recycled: ✔ use recycled materials in entire denim collection
🔄 Second-hand range: ✔ upcycled collection
🪡 Free repairs: ✔ not free, but they can upcycle your used jeans that need repairing or a new lease of life
Reasons to 🧡
- Sustainable denim collection uses high % of recycled materials
- Truly unique repurposed jeans with a variety of designs
- Upcycle your old jeans with them
6. Preworn
Best for preloved jeans between £3 and £15
Preworn are a second-hand (and therefore very sustainable) online store with everything priced between just £3 and £15 with an extra 25% off everything! With over 800,000 items from designer to high-street brands you're sure to pick up an absolute bargain. They accept returns too, so if anything doesn't fit you can send it back for a refund. After a quick browse on their website I found a vintage pair of DKNY jeans for just £13.50! 😱
Price: from £3.00 (plus extra 25% off)
Range: Men, women and little ones
Delivery:
£3.95
Made in: n/a
🧵 GOTS certified organic cotton: n/a
🌱 Vegan patches: n/a
♻️ Recycled: ✘
🔄 Second-hand range: ✔ all items second-hand
🪡 Free repairs: ✘
Reasons to 🧡
- Re-home a pair of jeans and avoid the impact of buying new
- Save 36 bathtubs of water when you buy a pair of vintage jeans
- 30 day returns
Preworn Discount Code:
Get 25% off (even on sales) with
ZERO25
8. Beyond Retro
Best for vintage and second-hand
If you're looking for vintage Levi's jeans in the UK you'd be hard pressed to find a better range than Beyond Retro. You can also browse jeans from plenty of other big name brands such as Lee, Wrangler and Calvin Klein. They also have a BIG sustainable vision.
Price: from £20.00 (or even less in the sale)
Range: Men and women
Delivery:
£3.99 to UK or free on orders over £75
Made in: n/a
🧵 GOTS certified organic cotton: n/a
🌱 Vegan patches: n/a
♻️ Recycled: ✔ check out their up-cycled Reworked range
🔄 Second-hand range: ✔ all items second-hand
🪡 Free repairs: ✘
Reasons to 🧡
- Re-home a pair of jeans and avoid the impact of buying new
- Save 36 bathtubs of water when you buy a pair of vintage jeans
- Free 14 day returns
10. Finisterre
Best for Ⓑ Corp Certified
Finisterre was born to fill the need for durable clothing for hardy British surfers. They don't create hundreds of styles and fits for their denim range, just durable and comfortable classic fits, designed to be the perfect companion on your adventures.
Price: from £85.00
Range: Men and women
Delivery:
Free tracked UK delivery
Made in: Britain or China
🧵 GOTS certified organic cotton: ✘ just 100% certified organic
🌱 Vegan patches:
✔ they don't use patches
♻️ Recycled: ✘
🔄 Second-hand range: ✘
🪡 Free repairs: ✘ not free, but they offer a repair service
Reasons to 🧡
- Certified B® Corp
- Detailed sustainability information and impact report
- Free tracked returns service
11. Mud Jeans
Best for leasing
Mud Jeans are all about the circular economy when it comes to manufacturing and recycling jeans. Their innovative leasing program means you pay €9.95 for 12 months, and then they're yours to keep, swap or send back.
Price:
from €119.00
Range: Men and women
Delivery:
⚠️ UK on hold due to Brexit but they are working on it
Made in: Tunisia (Yousstex International)
🧵 GOTS certified organic cotton: ✔
🌱 Vegan patches:
✔ they don't use patches
♻️ Recycled: ✔ recycling done at Recover and Tejidos Royo, Spain
🔄 Second-hand range: ✘
🪡 Free repairs: ✔ for leasers within the first year
Reasons to 🧡
- Certified B® Corporation
- ABN AMRO Sustainable Retailer of the Year 2020
- Material Change Index: 4 Leading
- Lease option allows you to pay over 12 months
- Recycle your old jeans to get a €10 discount
12. Hiut Denim
Best for British made
Hiut's mission statement is: “We make jeans. That’s it. Nothing else. No distractions. Nothing to steal our focus. No kidding ourselves that we can be good at everything. No trying to conquer the whole world. We just do our best to conquer our bit of it.”
Price: from £155.00
Range: Men and women
Delivery:
Approx £4 (calculated at checkout) next day UK delivery
Made in: Wales
🧵 GOTS certified organic cotton: ✔ not all (check each product)
🌱 Vegan patches:
✔ contact them to swap to a vegan patch
♻️ Recycled: ✘
🔄 Second-hand range: ✘
🪡 Free repairs: ✔ free repairs for life
Reasons to 🧡
- All jeans are made in Cardigan, Wales
- Free repairs for life
- Certified B® Corporation
- Free returns
That's our ultimate list of the best sustainable jeans brands. If there's a great brand we haven't featured please let us know by dropping us a message at hello@zerowasted.co.uk
👖
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