Blue-Dot-MUD-Jeans

Carbon Footprint Study of Mud Jeans 28 October, 2015
Introduction
What is an Embodied Carbon Footprint?
All products have an embodied carbon footprint. It results from the emissions of fossil fuels
burned through a product’s life cycle
The Carbon Cycle
Natural Cycle: Carbon is exchanged among the oceans, atmosphere, and ecosystem.
This cycle has been a closed, balanced system for hundreds of thousands of years.
Greenhouse Effect:
The Carbon Cycle is present in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide and methane. These
two primary greenhouse gases uniquely allow light to pass while capturing infrared energy;
directly impacting Earth’s atmospheric energy and temperatures.
Man-Made Greenhouse Contributions:
Burning fossil fuels release hydrocarbons which have been outside the natural carbon
cycle for millions of years. These emissions have increased atmospheric CO2 by 40%,
changing the chemistry and raising the total atmospheric energy and contributing to
climate change. Though unintended, our individual actions, business operations, and the
supply chain our products rely on are contributing to these impacts.
The Role of Carbon Offsetting:
Though we are not in control of all of our greenhouse gas emissions, we recognize our
Responsibility for them. Offsetting your emissions and being carbon neutral is about
restoring what our actions disturbed. It means cleaning up after ourselves and working to
leave our ecosystem as we found it for future generations. It is a statement of
responsibility and about what sort of world we wish to create.
Every 1 ounce CO2e
is equal to over 960
cubic inches of
Atmospheric
greenhouse gas.
This Carbon Footprint Study
This good-faith study draws from international sources in addition to information provided.
Report Terminology
CO2e: Carbon Dioxide Equivalent is a standard for expressing the impact of greenhouse
gas emissions in terms of the amount of CO2 that would have the same impact.
Mud Jeans - Footprint
28 October, 2015
Average Blue Jeans - New Manufacture
Basis
Cultivation, and Fabric Manufacture
Fiber origination includes USA, China, India, and Turkey Cotton Fiber production: 1.98 kg CO2e / Average Jean
Fabric Manufacture: 4.77 kg CO2e / Average Jean
Manufacture and assembly assumes international
sources: Sustainable Apparel Coalition
Supply chain.
International Solid Waste Association,
Values provided are averages reported in studies by
Levi Straus & Co
Sources indicated.
Council for Sustainable Development
Assembly
2.7 kg CO2e / Average Jean
Sources: Sustainable Apparel Coalition
International Solid Waste Association,
Levi Straus & Co.
Council for Sustainable Development
Shipping and Final Delivery
Transportation includes Farm to manufacture,
manufacture to assembly, assembly to retail:
3.8 kg CO2e / Average Jean
Source: Levi Straus & Co.
Water Use Carbon Footprint
10.2 kg CO2e / Average Jean
Source: Levi Straus & Co.
Waterprint.net, stephenleahy.net
Operations
Unreported
Total
23.45 kg CO2e / Average Jean
7,000 liters water used per life-cycle*
*excludes end user washing
Mud Jeans - Footprint
Photo by Jacob Gube via Flickr
28 October, 2015
Mud Jeans - New Manufacture
Basis
Fiber origination: Greece and USA
Fabric manufacture: Egypt
(Assumed to include Spinning, dyeing and sizing,
weaving, and denim finishing)
Final assembly: Tunisia
(Assumed to include washing)
Average final product weight: 600 g
Fabric Shipping method: Truck 100%
Final Delivery to Customer: Air Delivery 3%, Truck 97%
500 km average distance
Each item includes an estimated share of
Mud Jean’s operations and business footprint based on total
emissions calculated from material and energy data provided.
Cultivation, and Fabric Manufacture
Cotton Fiber production: 0.22 kg CO2e / Mud Jean
source: Sustainable Apparel Coalition
Fabric Manufacture: 4.41 kg CO2e / Mud Jean
Source: DNM data
Assembly
0.5 kg CO2e Mud Jean
Source: Yousstex data,
Finish/Laundry
0.00241 kg CO2e Mud Jean
Source: Yousstex data,
Ecometrica/emissionfactors.com .
Shipping
Transportation includes Farm to manufacture,
manufacture to assembly, assembly to retail:
0.21 kg CO2e / Mud Jean
Source: European Chemical Transport Association
Water Use Carbon Footprint
2.28 kg CO2e / Mud Jean
Source: Manufacturer water use data, River Network
Final Delivery
Blended value including 3% via air transport:
0.1 kg CO2e / Mud Jean
Source: European Chemical Transport Association
Operations
1.156 kg CO2e / Mud Jean
Source: see detailed breakdown
Total
8.878 kg CO2e / Mud Jean
(38% of the Average Jean Footprint)
1,554 liters water used per life-cycle*
(22% of the Average Jean) *excludes end user washing
Mud Jeans - Footprint
28 October, 2015
Mud Jeans - Lease-a-Jean Vintage Pair
Basis
80% of all Mud Jean sales are returned within Lease-A-Jean
Program. Of these 50% (40% of all Mud Jeans) are returned
To market as a vintage pair.
Original Mud Jean Manufacture profile is basis for first
Jean use. Second use assumes reconditioning for 50% of all
units returned. Shipping includes return from first leasee,
Shipping to/from reconditioning site on 50% of all units, and
Final delivery to second leasee. Distances and shipping
Method assumptions are identical to Mud Jeans Manufacture.
Shipping to Reconditioning site assumes 30km round trip.
Original Mud Jean Footprint (first life)
8.878 kg CO2e / Mud Jean
Reconditioning
0.02 kg CO2e Mud Jean
Source: Ecometrica/emissionfactors.com .
Shipping
Transportation includes return shipping from 1st life
With 3% via air transport, transit to reconditioning
site (50% returns):
0.1 kg CO2e / Mud Jean
Source: European Chemical Transport Association
Final Delivery
Blended value including 3% via air transport:
0.1 kg CO2e / Mud Jean
Source: European Chemical Transport Association
Operations
Total
1.156 kg CO2e / Mud Jean
Source: see detailed breakdown
10.25 kg CO2e per two life-span Mud Jean
5.13 kg CO2e Average footprint per life-span
(22% of the Average Jean Footprint)
777 liters water used per life-cycle*
(11% of the Average Jean) *excludes end user washing
Mud Jeans - Footprint
28 October, 2015
Footprint Comparison
Mud Jeans - Footprint
28 October, 2015
Mud Operations Detail
Basis
Assume average website/email server energy
Consumption and includes social media sites.
Assumes $6,000 per year miscellaneous office
material purchases, Annual Business Travel of 9,656 km flown
And 2,900 km car travel.
Website
301 Pounds CO2 e
sources:J on Koomey of Stanford University
Yearbook.enerdata.net
Techthefuture.com
Utilities
0 pounds CO2e
(Included in item assembly)
Miscellaneous
100 pounds CO2e
Source: University of California, Berkeley
Travel
Auto: 1,588 pounds CO2e
Air: 9,709 pounds CO2e
Source: US EPA
Total Operations
11,698 pounds CO2e
(5,306 kg CO2e)
Mud Jeans - Footprint
28 October, 2015
Carbon Footprint Study
28 October, 2015
Mud Jeans
Analysis provided by:
A program of Pale Blue Dot LLC
(612) 669-7056
www.BLUEdotRegister.org