True Price of Jeans

The True Price of Jeans

Commissioned by

Contents

Executive summary 1. Introduction 2. True Price of jeans in 2018 3. True Price of jeans towards 2030 4. Appendix 5. List of sources

True pricing can help the fashion industry’s transition to sustainability

Cotton cultivation Denim textile production Final product: jeans

The fashion industry is big business and has a number of negative externalities on consumers, information on externalities can child labour and underpayment). Such continues to grow with increasing demand people and planet. Important environmental help improve their impact. external costs are harmful to society and also from developing countries. Jeans have – since externalities in the value chain include scarce pose risks to businesses, such as reputation In order to provide this information, the True its invention in the nineteenth century – water use, air pollution and climate change. damage and compliance issues due to stricter Price methodology is applied. This entails become a popular global product, both as a Negative social effects include various forms legislation. The true price method provides calculating the true price gap: the additional fashion item and for its durable fabric. of bonded labour (work with a non-voluntary businesses insights to improve their societal environmental and social costs for society, on component), child labour and underpayment. impact by reducing its true price gap. The production of jeans also has positive top of the purchasing price. The true price economic effects. In 2017, the global jeans This report provides insights into how the gap contains all direct external costs that are This report calculates the true price gap for a retail market value was estimated at $ 42 fashion industry can transition towards more not part of the price tag but are paid pair of jeans, of which the cotton is cultivated billion1), with global value chains. sustainable production. It offers information nonetheless – for instance by local and used for denim textile production in on externalities in the value chain of jeans communities (scarce water use and water India, to be followed by jeans manufacturing Aside from the positive effects of production production with insights into how businesses pollution), by future generations (climate in Bangladesh. and consumption of jeans, the industry also can improve their impact on society. Also for change) or by employees (bonded labour,

1) P&S Intelligence

The true price gap of a pair of jeans is around € 30

As shown in the figure to the right, the true Manufacturing jeans from denim textile in The most material external costs reveal key areas for price gap for an average pair of jeans is around € Bangladesh comes with social costs for workers, improvement. We suggest a number of interventions for 30. In context: most consumer prices for a pair such as harassment and underearning. Per pair both the jeans industry and consumer behaviour to of jeans in the Netherlands range between € 14 of jeans these external costs are however improve the impact on society, based on the value chain and € 200. relatively low due to the limited amount of in scope. This can give input for a concrete roadmap of Environmental external labour time necessary per pair of jeans in this the fashion industry’s transition to sustainability: In the value chain, the largest costs are costs step. generated in cotton cultivation and denim Social external costs 1. Increasing water use efficiency in cotton cultivation in textile production steps. In the cotton India: € 0.70 per jeans with potential impact of € 330 € 35 million. cultivation step, more than half of external costs are environmental, most notably due to scarce € 30 2. Addressing bonded labour in textile production in India: € 10.30 per jeans and potential impact of € 5 water usage and water pollution. However, due € 25 billion. to significant social external costs in the denim € 20 textile production and jeans manufacturing 3. Towards living income and wages across the value chain: € 2.95 per jeans and potential impact of € 1.4 steps, social external costs account for almost € 15 billion. two thirds of the total true price gap. This is € 10 4. Re-using denim textile from jeans: € 1.25 per jeans mainly due to widespread bonded labour, child with potential impact of € 550 million. labour and underpayment across the value € 5 5. More responsible consumer purchasing: € 16.45 per chain in India. € 0 jeans with potential impact of € 8 billion Cotton Denim textile Transport India – Jeans Transport Total true price cultivation production Bangladesh manufacturing Bangladesh – gap 6. Washing the jeans less often: € 0.90 per jeans with (India) (India) (Bangladesh) Netherlands potential impact of € 430 million

With almost two $ 42 billion Global jeans retail market 20171) billion pairs produced each year, 6 pairs Average number of jeans are key for the pairs of jeans owned per person, fashion industry’s globally2) transition to € 4.9 billion sustainability Import value of jeans in EU in 20177)

Clothes are basic items for people and come The main material used in jeans is cotton, However, the garment industry is also Insight into external costs involved in jeans in many different sizes, colours and finishes which is primarily cultivated in Asian associated with negative impacts on people production chains, can support in minimising from a multitude of production lines. Jeans countries such as China and India4). The and planet. These are costs to society that harm to society and achieving these goals. have become a popular item around the cotton is used to make denim textile, which are made during the production, but not paid This report provides insights into these globe with almost two billion pairs of jeans in turn is the main input for the production of for by the consumers or the companies in the external costs by describing the true price of sold per year on a global level, resulting in a jeans. Jeans manufacturing mostly takes value chain. For example, the intense process a pair of jeans from Bangladesh with denim global retail market of $ 42 billion in 20171). place in lower-wage countries such as China, of cotton cultivation requires a lot of water, produced in India. On average, consumers own 6 pairs of jeans, Mexico, Turkey and Bangladesh, the latter while it often takes place in regions with globally2). This market is only expected to having a 27% share of jeans imported by the water scarcity6). In addition, textile increase the next couple of years3). Their EU5). Along the supply chain, jeans production and jeans manufacturing often production comes with both positive effects, production provides working opportunities occurs in Asian countries with high risks of such as economic development, and negative and economic development. labour rights violations. effects on society.

1) P&S Intelligence); 2) Cotton Incorporated (2019); 3) Newbery & Wang (2017); 4) National Cotton Council of America (2019); 5) Ovi (2018); 6) Grooscurt et al. (2016); (7) European Commission (2019).

How can the fashion External industry’s transition costs Social contribute to the UN costs Sustainable Development Goals? Env. costs

2018 2030

All United Nations member states have such as living wages1) across the jeans value How true pricing can contribute to the SDGs • Improve the transition to a more adopted the Sustainable Development Goals chain. For SDG (8) Decent work and economic sustainable fashion industry. True pricing is a unique method to quantify as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable growth, working conditions such as health and present external costs. Information on The second part of this report discusses Development. The transition of the jeans and safety, harassment and bonded labour true prices (first part of the report) can be actions that the fashion industry and industry can contribute significantly in are identified in the cultivation and used to: consumers can take towards more reaching these goals. Most notably, the SDGs processing steps in the value chain. For SDG sustainable jeans. with a direct link to jeans production include (12) Responsible consumption and • Identify the biggest external costs of jeans (1) No poverty, (8) Decent work and production, material, energy and water production and improvement levers to economic growth, and (12) Responsible intensity in production are key areas for reduce these external costs; consumption and production. improvement. • Draft a roadmap on how to contribute to For example, for SDG (1) No poverty, true reaching the SDGs by 2030; and pricing can identify key areas of improvement

1) A living wage is the wage a worker should earn to be able to afford a decent standard of living. See the Global Living Wage Coalition for a comprehensive discussion (link).

Jeans production involves several steps largely located in Southern Asia

This report describes the external costs in the production process of one pair of indigo blue Production Jeans jeans, made of virgin cotton. Cotton cultivation denim Transport manu- Transport textile facturing The value chain of one pair of jeans involves numerous steps and countries. First, the raw cotton is cultivated. Then, the denim textile is produced through a number of cotton processing and textile fabrication steps. In 1. China (23%) 1. China (24%) 1. Sea freight 1. Bangladesh (27%) 1. Sea freight this study, these stages occur in India, one of 2. India (23%) 2. Pakistan (18%) 2. Rail freight 2. Turkey (23%) 2. Rail freight the largest producers of both cotton and 3. USA (16%) 3. Turkey (12%) 3. Road freight 3. Pakistan (16%) 3. Air freight denim textile. The last step in the value chain 4. Brazil (10%) 4. India (9%) 4. Air freight 4. China (10%) 4. Road freight 5. Pakistan (7%) 5. Japan (4%) 5. Tunisia (7%) is the production of jeans from denim textile. Here, this step takes place in Bangladesh, as it Share of global Share of global export Share of import value of is the largest exporter of jeans to the EU. cotton bale value denim textile jeans to EU production

Source: United States Source: UN Statistical Division Source: EC Trade Statistics Department of Agriculture

Stated in bold is the value chain assessed in this report.

True pricing can support the transition to sustainable apparel True The true price is the retail purchasing price of Price a product plus the true price gap. The true Social Social impacts in scope costs price gap contains all direct external costs True Insufficient wages & social security that are not part of the purchasing price but Price Insufficient income are paid by society nonetheless – for instance Environ- Gap Health & Safety by local communities (air and water mental Child labour Bonded labour pollution), by future generations (climate Retail costs Harassment purchasing change) or by employees (health and safety Discrimination risks). Such external costs are harmful to price Overtime society, but also pose risks to businesses. Denied freedom of association The aim of true pricing is not to increase the Environmental impacts in scope retail purchasing price, but rather to reduce Air pollution Water pollution the true price of products by closing the gap. Soil pollution This can be done by creating transparency Climate change about the true price gap, which enables Land use innovative ways of production. The true price Energy use method provides businesses with insight to Materials use Water use improve their societal impact by reducing its Current Target true price gap. It also provides consumers product product information to chose more sustainable products.

The true price gap of a pair of jeans is around € 30 Environmental external costs Social external costs

The figure on the right shows the true price contributing to the true price gap. € 35 gap for a pair of jeans. This covers all external • The key environmental costs for a pair of € 3.15 € 0.05 costs up until delivery to retailers, who sell jeans are scarce water use during cotton € 30 the jeans to consumers. The true price gap is € 0.15 cultivation and energy use, during < €0.05 broken down into the following main value spinning and knitting in denim textile € 25 chain steps: cotton cultivation, denim textile production. In addition, water pollution production, jeans manufacturing, and € 15.30 € 22.00 from the use of fertilisers in cultivation € 20 transport steps in between. Key messages: and chemicals in wet-processing of denim • The true price gap is around € 30 per pair textile adds to the true price gap. € 15 of jeans and the biggest contribution to • The production of jeans in Bangladesh is the true price gap comes from social notorious for occurrences of human rights € 5.85 externalities. € 10 violations in factories. The main social • The key contributor to the true price gap issues in jeans manufacturing in € 3.55 € 5 € 10.90 is the phase from raw cotton to denim Bangladesh concern harassment, textile. Widespread occurrence of bonded underpayment and denied freedom of € 4.85 labour in this step in India is the main association. Per worker the external costs € 0 Cotton Denim textile Transport India – Jeans Transport Total true price driver (bonded labour is work with a non- are high. Due to high labour productivity, cultivation production Bangladesh manufacturing Bangladesh – gap voluntary component and occurs in the social costs are relatively low per pair (India) (India) (Bangladesh) Netherlands various forms with differing levels of of jeans, compared to the other phases in severity). This is the largest single impact the supply chain. True price gap for cotton production and processing to a pair of jeans. The figure shows the true price gap for each key step independently, adding up to the total true price gap of a pair of jeans. All values are in EUR per pair of jeans. Copyright 2019 Impact Institute. All rights reserved. 12

Cotton Denim textile Jeans Cultivation mainly Transport Transport cultivation production manufacturing drives environmental

costs due to large € 9 € 8.40 scarce blue water use Discrimination: € 0.05 € 8 Around 23% of all cotton cultivated phosphorus synthetic fertiliser causes Occupational H&S risk: € 0.15 worldwide comes from India1) making it the freshwater and marine eutrophication. On world’s second largest producer of cotton average, farmers in India apply 100 kg/ha N- € 7 Overtime: € 0.20

lint. The cultivation in India has a true price synthetic fertiliser, 60 kg/ha of P-synthetic Child labour: € 0.60 gap of € 8.40. Approximately 58% of the true fertiliser and 20 kg/ha of K-synthetic fertiliser € 6 price gap is due to environmental (synthetically produced fertiliser per main Insufficient income: € 0.75 3) externalities. The most significant impacts are nutrient) . Combined with pesticide use, this Insufficient wages and social security: € 0.75 € 5 scarce water use, water pollution, bonded leads to € 0.95 in true price contribution4). Bonded labour: € 1.10 labour and underpayment of workers. The main social externalities are bonded € 4 A large amount of scarce blue water is used labour (€ 1.10) and underpayment of self- Materials use: € 0.05 for irrigation during the cultivation of cotton. employed farmers and hired workers (€ 1.50 Energy use: € 0.20 This exceeds 2,000 litres of scarce blue water per pair of jeans). Bonded labour is driven by € 3 Climate change: € 0.25 per pair of jeans (of the total 8,000 litres of men working as permanent farm servants, water used for virgin cotton cultivation in one who are paid their annual salary upfront and € 2 Land use: € 0.25 pair of jeans)2) and translates to a true price forced to work the rest of the year. Soil pollution: € 0.35 contribution of € 2.80. The high water Underpayment concerns earning less than a € 1 intensity of cotton, combined with water Water pollution: € 0.95 living income or wage, the payment or scarcity in many regions in India, makes earnings to live a decent life5). E.g., hired Water use: € 2.80 water use the highest environmental cost. € - workers in cotton cultivation make on Cotton cultivation In addition, water pollution is a main driver of average € 560/year less than a living wage. True price gap for cotton cultivation (EUR/pair of jeans). environmental costs. The use of nitrogen and

Copyright 2019 Impact Institute. All rights reserved. 1) National Cotton Council of America (2019); 2) Chapagain (2006); 3) IDH and True Price (2016); 4) Note that fertiliser and pesticide use also leads to soil pollution and climate change, but these are smaller effects than water pollution; 5) The living wage can be significantly above the legal minimum wage. See the Global Living Wage Coalition for a comprehensive discussion (link). 13

Cotton Denim textile Jeans Bonded labour in Transport Transport cultivation production manufacturing denim textile production is the main driver of the € 25 Overtime: € 0.05 true price gap € 21.15 Discrimination: € 0.10 Denim textile production consists of several is the so-called Sumangali scheme2). In this € 20 phases to convert raw cotton into denim scheme, young (female) workers are hired for Occupational H&S risk: € 0.40 textile; including ginning, spinning, knitting a contract up to five years, during which they Denied freedom of association: € 0.45 and/or weaving, wet-processing and finishing earn a wage that is paid as a lump sum at the Harassment: € 0.95 of cotton products. In this analysis, these end of the contract. The scheme is essentially € 15 steps are performed in India. These steps are bonded labour and violates ILO standards3). Insufficient wages and social security: € 1.15 the main driver of the true price gap of a pair In addition, characteristics of camp labour Child labour: € 1.40 of jeans at € 21.15. occur, where workers are physically Bonded labour: € 10.85 restricted4). Conservative estimates state that About half of this true price gap is driven by € 10 roughly one-third of workers are in some Materials use: < € 0.05 the occurrence of bonded labour. Key kind of bonded labour5), but higher numbers environmental costs in this part of the value Water use: € 0.30 are also reported6). Combined, we estimate chain are energy use and air pollution. Water pollution: € 0.85 that bonded labour contributes € 10.85 to € 5 The state of Tamil Nadu in Southern India is the true price gap of a pair of jeans. Climate change: € 1.30 the largest producer of cotton yarn in India Environmental costs are mainly due to high Air pollution: € 1.60 and a global sourcing hub for ready-made energy use in spinning and weaving mills and garments. It employs approximately 200- to € - Energy use: € 1.80 air pollution. In the dyeing and spinning 400 thousand workers in its spinning mills1). Textile production phase, sulphur dioxide is emitted through air, A main driver of bonded labour in this sector resulting in acidification of the environment. True price gap for denim textile production (EUR/pair of jeans).

1) & 4) & 6) India Committee of the Netherlands (2016); 2) See i.e. Solidaridad (2012) for an in-depth analysis of the Sumangali scheme; 3) Since 1919, the International Labour Organization (ILO) has maintained and developed a system of international labour standards aimed at promoting opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work, in conditions of freedom, equity, security and dignity. 5) Bhalla (2015) Copyright 2019 Impact Institute. All rights reserved. 14

Cotton Denim textile Jeans Jeans manufacturing Transport Transport cultivation production manufacturing is mainly associated with social issues Jeans manufacturing consists of cutting, association (€ 0.60 true price gap). € 4.00 stitching, sewing, washing, finishing denim Exploitation of women workers in clothing Child labour: € 0.10 textile into a pair of jeans. As main exporting € 3.30 factories is one of the key social externalities. € 3.50 country to the EU, these steps are analysed Discrimination: € 0.10 In Bangladesh, women workers, accounting for Bangladesh. Ready-made garment – for 85% of the total workforce in the garment Occupational H&S risk: € 0.20 including jeans – covers over 80%1) of the € 3.00 industry3), face many forms of mistreatment. exports of Bangladesh, making it a main Overtime: € 0.25 23% of workers experience verbal driver of the country’s economy. € 2.50 harassment (compared to 9%-18% in denim Insufficient wages and social security: € 0.30 Factories in Bangladesh have a high textile production) and one in four women is productivity: the average factory worker victim of physical sexual harassment4). € 2.00 Denied freedom of association: € 0.60 produces over 5,000 pairs of jeans a year2). In Another important externality is denied Harassment: € 1.70 other words: cutting, sewing and stitching a freedom of association: 97.5% of garment € 1.50 pair of jeans only takes on average 25 Energy use: < € 0.05 factories in Bangladesh are estimated to have minutes. While several human rights 5) no trade unions . Air pollution: < € 0.05 violations occur in this step of the value € 1.00 The living wage gap for hired workers in chain, the true price gap per pair of jeans is € Water pollution: € 0.05 3.30 due to this high productivity. garment factories in Bangladesh is the largest in the chain at € 1.060 per FTE per year6) € 0.50 Climate change: € 0.05 Environmental externalities contribute 15% (compared to living wage gaps in denim to the true price gap of this step, caused by Water use: € 0.05 textile production in India ranging from € 330 € - electricity and water use. Two main social to € 840)7). However, as productivity is high, Jeans manufacturing issues here are harassment of workers (€ in this step the impact per pair of jeans is True price gap for jeans manufacturing (EUR/pair of jeans). 1.70 true price gap) and denied freedom of relatively small (€ 0.30 true price gap).

Copyright 2019 Impact Institute. All rights reserved. 1) BGMEA (2019); 2) Dhaka Tribune (2018) and Montazer & Maryan (2009); 3) & 4) Alam et al. (2011); 5) Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Bangladesh in The Independent (2018); 6) Global Living Wage Coalition (2018) and Haque & Bari (2015); 7) IDH and True Price (2016) 15

Cotton Denim textile Jeans Transport accounts Transport Transport cultivation production manufacturing for relatively small environmental costs

€ 0.04 In the value chain, two transport steps are Even though there are notable € 0.04 included. First, the transportation of the environmental externalities from sea freight, denim textile from India to Bangladesh, by these costs are relatively small per pair of sea freight. Second, transportation over sea jeans due to large volumes of jeans per € 0.03 of the ready-made garment from Bangladesh shipment. to the Netherlands. In the transportation step, we focus on € 0.02 environmental externalities, such as climate change, energy use, and air and water Water pollution: < € 0.01 pollution. Social externalities in shipping € 0.01 Water pollution: € 0.01 € 0.01 € 0.01 exist, but are assumed only a small Air pollution: < € 0.01 Air pollution: € 0.01 proportion of the workers involved in the jeans value chain, and as such deemed Climate change: < € 0.01 Climate change: € 0.01 negligible. € - € - Energy use: < € 0.01 Energy use: € 0.01 Transportation India - Transportation Bangladesh - The true price gap for the transportation to Bangladesh NL Bangladesh amounts to less than € 0.01. The true price gap for the transportation to the Netherlands is less than € 0.04. Both are True price gap for the transportation of denim textile from India to Bangladesh (left figure) and transportation from Bangladesh to the Netherlands (right figure) (EUR/pair of jeans). mainly driven by water pollution.

€ 35 Improving the € 30 € 0.70 € 10.30 Visual representation of a roadmap € 25 towards a more sustainable jeans sustainability of the € 22.00 € 20 € 2.95 € 0.55 sector. The current level of social and environmental costs can be reduced jeans value chain € 0.75 € 15 though a number of targeted € 8.20 interventions by the fashion industry, € 10 closing the true price gap (ceteris paribus for each intervention). The € 5 € 10.90 € 9.45 interventions are explained in more € 0 detail on the next page. Total true price Water use Address Towards living Re-using denim Target true gap efficiency bonded labour income and textile from price gap wages jeans

The first part of this report focused mainly on Roadmap to a sustainable jeans sector Cotton cultivation Denim textile production the external costs of the phases of jeans However, to become a sustainable sector, the The cultivation of cotton contributes 25% to Workers in denim textile production suffer production. Of course, the global jeans sector jeans industry should focus on decreasing the the total true price gap of a pair of jeans, from poor working conditions, low wages and also has a strong positive effect on harm to society. An effort to draft a complete mainly driven by water use and low the occurrence of bonded labour. developing economies. assessment of externalities can be input for a wages/earnings. In India, where cotton is Improving this sector is not easy. Addressing Cotton in India is grown by around 5.8 million roadmap towards an increasingly sustainable produced mainly by smallholder farmers with the predominantly social issues requires farmers and 50 million people indirectly sector. Using the insights offered by the true relatively low yields per ha, it is difficult to understanding the societal and cultural depend on the cotton sector for their price analysis of the jeans value chain, this earn a living income. context in which these take place3). livelihood1). In addition, the manufacturing of section identifies and discusses next steps. Investing in better technologies, increasing Moreover, there is fierce international jeans – and other textiles – in Bangladesh is a The main areas for improvement are typically transparency measures, providing training to competition, so an exclusion strategy may major driver of the country’s economy. The the steps in the value chain with the largest farmers and improving working conditions of only lead to a shift in location of externalities. ready-made garment (RMG) industry externalities, in this case cotton cultivation hired labour could contribute significantly to employs around 20 million people and covers and denim textile production. Working together with (local) governments, decreasing the true price gap of jeans. over 80% of Bangladesh’s total exports2). organizations and communities can combine more sustainable production with economic development.

1) India Today (2018); 2) BGMEA (2019); 3) Delaney & Connor (2016) Copyright 2019 Impact Institute. All rights reserved. 18 Improved cotton Social engagement in Circularity Industry interventions production value chain can save billions in Water use efficiency in India: all cotton Address bonded labour in textile Re-using denim textile from jeans external costs produced using more efficient production in India (95% reduction): • Reduction in true price gap: € 1.35 irrigation: • Reduction in true price gap: € 10.30 • Potential: € 600 million • Reduction in true price gap: € 0.70 • Potential: € 5 billion • Potential: € 330 million for all jeans Paying full living income and wages in produced in Bangladesh India and Bangladesh • Reduction in true price gap: € 2.95 • Potential: € 1.4 billion SDG contribution SDG contribution SDG contribution

Next to addressing the main issues along the example been linked to the drying up of the bonded labour is already done, for example workers throughout the supply chain a living value chain, we offer concrete interventions Aral Sea in Uzbekistan1) and has high costs in by the Freedom Fund4). When bonded labour income or living wage avoids ~€ 1.4 billion in for the jeans sector in three key areas: water-challenged countries such as India2). is addressed and reduced by 95%, the true external costs (€ 2.95 per jeans). Using rainwater and drip irrigation in India price gap can decline with ~€ 5 billion (€ 1. Improved cotton production Circularity can increase water use efficiency3) compared 10.30 per jeans). 2. Social engagement in value chain to traditional irrigation techniques and can Re-using the valuable denim from jeans Moving towards paying living income (e.g. 3. Circularity save an estimated € 330 million in external through recycling can avoid a large share of for self-employed farmers) and living wages All interventions are based on the value chain costs (€ 0.70 per jeans). the total true price gap of a pair of jeans (for hired workers) throughout the value in scope, which is representative for all jeans produced from virgin materials. Companies Social engagement in value chain chain of jeans can alleviate many workers out produced in Bangladesh, with denim textile such as MUD Jeans, Levi’s and Kuyichi are of poverty. Organisations such as Asia Floor from India as specified in this value chain. The key contributor to the true price gap is already pioneering in this field. Scaling this up Wage Alliance and the Fair Wear Foundation bonded labour in denim textile production in by re-using 15% of the post-consumer Improved cotton production are already striving towards this, the latter India. Increasing community capacity to textile5) and quantifying the impact can save working with brands and industry influencers The main externality in cotton cultivation is prevent bonded labour and taking action for € 600 million in the true price gap, decreasing to improve working conditions. Paying all the extreme use of scarce water. This has for labourers that are currently victims of environmental and social costs.

Consumers can also reduce billions in Buy responsibly

external costs Wearing jeans twice as long, avoiding consumption of jeans • Reduction in true price gap: € 16.45 • Potentially € 8 billion for all jeans produced in Bangladesh The true price of jeans covers all the external in Bangladesh would be worn twice as long, SDG contribution costs of jeans production, up to the point external costs could decline by ~€ 8 billion. where the jeans are ready for sell to More durable and slower (compared to fast-) consumers. Consumer use is not part of this, fashion might also contribute to this. but it does contribute to the total external Be lazy, wash less costs over the full life cycle of a pair of jeans, for example through frequent washing of During the consumer use phase of a pair of Be lazy, wash less jeans. Therefore, conscious and responsible jeans, the main external costs are from behaviour of consumers can also contribute washing the jeans. On average, one washing 2) Extending the time between to lowering external costs. uses around 55 litres of water and 0.5 kWh of electricity3). Currently, people wash their washing jeans* Buy responsibly jeans very regularly, often out of habit and • Reduction in external costs: € 0.90 Every year, around € 500 million pairs of without the jeans being dirty. Extending the • Potentially € 430 million for all jeans are produced in Bangladesh1). period between washing a pair of jeans can jeans produced in Bangladesh Consumers on average already own six pairs save up to € 430 million annually in external SDG contribution of jeans. Prolonging the use of a pair of jeans costs for all jeans yearly produced in and delaying buying new jeans can avoid the Bangladesh. Moreover, washing less often full true price gap. If all yearly produced jeans reduces the wear of the jeans, leading to an extended period of use. * This intervention reduces societal impact. 1) Dhaka Tribune (2018); 2) Vitens (2010); 3) Milieu Centraal (2019); However, it does not reduce the true price gap, as it takes place after purchasing jeans Copyright 2019 Impact Institute. All rights reserved. Appendix 4

This report assesses In this study we have used the following functional unit: - One pair of indigo jeans, entirely made of virgin cotton a value chain from - Average size and non-ripped model for adults (weighing 600g) cotton cultivation to delivery for retail

Cotton Production Production Production Consumer Activity Transport Transport Retail End of life cultivation yarn fabric jeans use**

India India – Bangladesh Bangladesh Bangladesh – NL The Netherlands Materials in scope Cotton yarn, Denim Cotton bales Jeans (95% of weight of dye textile jeans)

Materials out of scope Polyester Polyester yarn, metal, (5% of weight of jeans) yarn (fake) leather In true price scope

Out of true price scope

Detailed overview of value chain steps

Cotton cultivation, yarn production and textile production Transport The production steps of cotton cultivation, yarn production and textile The last step for the true price calculation of the jeans is the transport production in India have been analyzed in a study on the True Price of step from Bangladesh to the Netherlands. In this step, mainly Cotton in a collaboration between True Price and IDH1). Results from this environmental external costs are material. The output of this step is a study were used for this report. In order to align with the most recent pair of jeans, ready for retail and purchase by the consumer. methodological developments of true pricing, several monetization factors were updated. The output of this step is blue-dyed denim, made of 100% Retail virgin cotton, ready for jeans production. After delivery to the Netherlands, the jeans are distributed and sold by retail companies. This step is out of scope for this analysis. Transport In this step the denim textile is transported from India to Bangladesh. Consumer use

Jeans production The use of the jeans by the consumer is an important aspect of the total lifecycle of the jeans. Due to regular washing (and drying) of the jeans, The input of this step is the denim textile as produced in the previous step. the consumer uses, among other inputs, water and electricity. It is In this step the textile is cut, sewn, finished and washed (for adding washed- assumed that these washing cycles take place in the Netherlands. This down look to the jeans), all in Bangladesh. In this step, other components, step is by definition not considered in the true price, as it happens after such as labels, pockets, buttons, rivets and zippers, are added to the jeans. the purchase of the product. However, (environmental) impacts are The external costs of these components are out of scope for this analysis. considered in the possible interventions for consumers to decrease the Output of this step is a finished pair of jeans, ready to be shipped to the total impact of the jeans. Netherlands.

The calculation of the external costs of this step was performed on material End of life external costs and based on secondary data. In the end of life phase of the jeans the consumer can dispose it, and the jeans can end up in landfill, be incinerated or used for recycling. This step is out of scope for this analysis.

1) IDH and True Price (2016)

External costs in scope for this report

Impact Description Environmental externalities Air pollution Emission of toxic gasses (e.g., NOx and SOx), mainly related to energy use. Water pollution Pollution of water with acidifying and other toxic pollutants. Soil pollution The pollution of soil in the value chain, e.g. due to the use of fertilisers. Climate change Emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses mainly through electricity and other energy use. Land use Land use in the value chain, e.g. for growing of crops. Energy use Use of energy in the value chain, e.g. for manufacturing processes. Materials use Mineral and fossil fuel resource depletion in the value chains; fossil fuel resource depletion due to operations. Water use The use of blue water, reducing the availability of water for human use. Water use is only a relevant impact in regions where water is scarce. Social externalities Insufficient income Entrepreneurs having less income than the so-called living income (that is sufficient for a decent standard of living). Insufficient wages & social Workers earning below the so-called living wage (that is sufficient for a decent standard of living). Note that the living wage can be above the legal minimum security wage. Absence of social security (e.g., unemployment savings and sick leave) also contributes to the true price gap. Health & safety Mainly determined from fatal and non-fatal incidents at work. Working in an unsafe working environment adds to the true price gap. Child labour Occurrence of child labour according to the ILO criteria. Bonded labour Occurrence of bonded labour. Bonded labour is work with a non-voluntary component and occurs in various forms with differing levels of severity. Harassment (Sexual and non-sexual) harassment of workers, including health effects and treatment costs. Discrimination Reflects to the absence of paid maternity leave, and the gender wage gap, where women earn less than men for similar work. Overtime Workers experiencing excessive working hours (more than the maximum legal working hours). Denied freedom of association Denied freedom for workers to form and/or join trade or labour unions.

Sources

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