In a world dominated by the threats of climate change and consumers that crave ethically produced and environment-friendly products, companies are looking for new ways of production. Levi Strauss & Co. has developed Project FLX, a digital platform for creating jean finishes that will not only significantly reduce chemical waste, but also reduce the number of labor-intensive steps from between 18-24 to just three.
In place of manual labor, Levi Strauss intends to use lasers to create the famous designs on its jeans. Previously, this same process was achieved with hand-finishing and a chemical process used to make the jeans appear faded and worn. By replacing this chemical process with a laser, the company hopes to have “zero discharge of hazardous chemical by 2020.” Further, the company claims it has turned an eight to 12 minute process into one that takes a shocking 90 seconds, cutting development time in half.
Because this process promises to save time and reduce waste, Levi Strauss expects other companies to follow suit. The digital platform is anticipated to be fully implemented by 2020.
Watch the video below to learn more about Project FLX.
