Mud Jeans and Saxion University develop the world's first fully circular jeans

To combat the growing textile mountain in the Netherlands, Mud Jeans and Saxion University of Applied Sciences developed the world's first fully circular jeans. In the production of the prototype, only the fibres of worn trousers were used to create the jeans, according to a press release.

As recycled yarns are more difficult to process than yarns containing only new fibres, producing fully circular jeans was unheard of until now. Mud Jeans and Saxion combined mechanically recycled fibres with chemically recycled fibres for the first time to produce the jeans as to increase the percentage of recycled fibres, according to a press release.

Mud Jeans' jeans currently consist of 40 percent PCR denim (post-consumer recycled denim) to which organic cotton is added. Mud Jeans produce 93 percent less water and 74 percent less CO2 than industry-standard jeans. With the switch to one hundred percent PCR denim, Mud Jeans is processing even more used jeans in the production process and therefore no longer has to use new cotton, according to a press release.

After a development process of almost two years, the jeans were officially launched on June 21 during the ‘Road to 100 Watch Party’ by the Dutch actress and presenter Jennifer Hoffman.

“We are extremely proud that we have realised the first real circular jeans in the world,” said Dion Vijgeboom, co-owner of Mud Jeans. He continued: “With this, we want to show that a world without waste – thanks to a circular economy – is possible and feasible. Chemical recycling does not sound sustainable, but it is no more than a collective term for dissolving cellulose material biologically.”

Mud Jeans is a sustainable and fair trade certified denim brand based in the Netherlands and the first circular denim brand. In 2013, Mud Jeans introduced the 'Lease A Jeans' concept. This concept is based on an economy without ownership. Last May, Mud Jeans won the Willem 1 Plaque, the prize for Sustainable Entrepreneurship 2022 awarded by King Willem I. In 2021, Mud Jeans was named Best For The World B Corp and scored highest in the environment category.

This article was originally published on FashionUnited.nl, and it was translated into English by Andrea Byrne.