American Eagle launches sustainable jeans collection

By

Jennifer Braun

Published
May 14, 2021

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. announced on Thursday the development of a limited American Eagle jeans collection using guidelines as a part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Jeans Redesign project, as it reaffirms its commitment to the environment. 

By using guidelines developed by the Foundation's Make Fashion Circular team alongside over 80 denim experts, the AE x Jeans Redesign collection adheres to the principles of a circular economy where clothes are made with limited impact, are recyclable and are long-lasting to be kept in use. 

The collection will be made of 100-percent organic cotton with easy-to-remove hardware, making the jeans easily recyclable, and will be produced without the use of harmful chemicals and processes, among other sustainable aspects. 

“By taking measures to ensure more responsible product sourcing, we are working hard to help create a healthier environment for future generations. As part of AEO’s broader sustainability goals, we’ve made a commitment to move toward more sustainable raw materials and manufacturing techniques, as well as reducing our water and energy usage,” said Jay Schottenstein, executive chairman and chief executive officer. 

“Our adoption of the guidelines set by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation for the AE x Jeans Redesign collection represents AEO’s ongoing journey and pledge to accelerate improvements across our operations through innovation and collaboration.”

Since the launch of its sustainable efforts, American Eagle has decreased the amount of water used to make jeans by nearly 7 gallons per jean, compared with 2017; saved a total of 4.5 billion gallons of water since 2017, due to recycling and reduction efforts; and conserved an estimated 2.4 billion gallons of water in 2020 as a result of cotton sourcing practices, and more.