143,000 people join growing ‘Too Dirty to Wear’ campaign, demand bold climate leadership from Levi’s

Activists descend upon Levi’s headquarters to deliver Valentine’s Day petition, hold ‘too dirty to wear’ dance party

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — This Valentine’s Day, more than a dozen climate activists descended upon Levi’s headquarters in San Francisco to deliver a message of love: the iconic jean company should be a fashion industry leader in protecting our climate.

“We’re here to send Levi’s CEO Chip Bergh a positive message: We love Levi’s jeans, but it’s time for the company to be a climate leader, not a climate laggard,” said Kristina Flores, Climate Campaigner at Stand.earth.

Buried beneath dozens of roses, balloons, and a giant heart-shaped valentine made from secondhand Levi’s jeans, the activists delivered a petition addressed to Levi’s CEO Chip Bergh signed by 143,000 people who are calling on the company to clean up the climate pollution throughout its supply chain.

After delivering the petition and card, activists poured outside and ditched their jeans for a “too dirty to wear” dance party. Photos from the event are available here.

The climate protest was part of San Francisco-based Stand.earth’s “Too Dirty to Wear” campaign calling on Levi’s to reduce pollution and transitioning to renewable energy in its entire supply chain.

“The apparel industry is a major contributor to climate change — if it were a nation, it would be the fifth largest climate polluter on Earth,” said Kristina Flores, Climate Campaigner at Stand.earth. “Just like other apparel companies, many factories around the globe that produce Levi’s jeans run largely on coal and other fossil fuels. As a beloved brand, Levi’s is perfectly positioned to step up and help drive the entire industry toward sustainability.”

The “Too Dirty to Wear” campaign launched in December 2017, when activists hung a banner above the Levi’s sign at its headquarters in San Francisco — changing the name to “LEVI STRAUSS & C02” — and held the first “too dirty to wear” dance party at a nearby Levi’s flagship store.

Learn more about the climate impact from Levi’s and the entire apparel industry at stand.earth/toodirtytowear. Join the campaign and sign an open letter to Levi’s at stand.earth/action/levis-too-dirty-wear.

Media contact: Virginia Cleaveland, Stand.earth, virginia@stand.earth, 510-858-9902