Carbon footprint of a pair of jeans

The median pair of jeans in our catalogue has a carbon footprint of 16.5 kg CO₂e over its whole life, from growing or making the materials to disposal. Half of the 366 jeans we have footprinted, from 37 brands, fall between 6.65 and 18.6 kg CO₂e.

16.5kg CO₂e, median whole life
10.6kg CO₂e, median cradle to gate
6.65–18.6kg CO₂e, middle half
366jeans in the catalogue

Where the footprint of a pair of jeans comes from

In the typical split, production makes up about 53% of the total, followed by use at about 35%. The split shows where a maker's own data changes the result most: replacing published averages for the largest stages with your own figures moves the footprint far more than refining the small ones.

The split is the median share of each stage across the catalogue's jeans, rescaled to add up to 100%. Read cradle to gate versus cradle to grave for what each stage covers.

  • Raw materials 7%
  • Production 53%
  • Packaging 1%
  • Distribution 1%
  • Use 35%
  • End of life 2%
Typical split by stage for a pair of jeans, whole life

What jeans are made of

The main material is the biggest single choice in a pair of jeans's raw-material footprint. These are the main materials of the jeans in our catalogue, by share of products:

  • Cotton, conventional45%
  • Reused fabric (upcycled sari, scraps, deadstock)27%
  • Cotton, organic15%
  • Cotton, mechanically recycled10%
  • Linen (flax)4%

What lowers it

For each product, our calculator tests common changes and reports the one with the largest saving. For jeans, the changes that come out on top most often are:

  • Run the factory on solar electricity73%
  • Care label: wash cold, line dry27%

Share of jeans for which each change gives the largest saving.

Jeans in the catalogue

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How these figures are made

Each product's footprint is a screening estimate: we read the materials and weight from the product listing, apply emission factors from cited public sources, and follow the ISO 14067 method with every source shown. Without the maker's own energy and supplier data, these are typical values, not measurements of a particular factory.

To footprint your own pair of jeans, start with a free estimate from a product link, or enter your own factory data. See our methodology for the method and sources, and read The carbon footprint of a pair of jeans for a worked example.

Questions

What is the carbon footprint of a pair of jeans?

Across 366 jeans in our catalogue, the median footprint is 16.5 kg CO₂e per item over its whole life, and half fall between 6.65 and 18.6 kg CO₂e. These are screening estimates from product listings; your own product's figure depends on its materials, weight and factory.

Which stage of a pair of jeans's life has the largest footprint?

In the typical split, production is the largest stage at about 53% of the total, followed by use at about 35%.

What is the cradle-to-gate footprint of a pair of jeans?

Counting only raw materials, production, inbound transport and packaging, up to the factory gate, the median is 10.6 kg CO₂e per item. Buyers often ask for this figure for their Scope 3 inventory.

How can a maker lower the footprint of a pair of jeans?

The change our calculator most often finds with the largest saving for jeans is “run the factory on solar electricity”. The best change for your product depends on your own materials and energy.

Can I use these figures for my own pair of jeans?

Use them to see the size of the footprint and where it comes from. For a figure to send a buyer, footprint your own product with your materials, weight and factory energy, so the result describes what you make.

Get buyer-ready product carbon footprintsISO 14067 method, a PACT v3 data file and a PDF report with every source. Join the waitlist for launch prices in your region.
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