Despite the name, MUD Jeans is anything but dirty. In a business with a history of scandals, from child labour to hazardous processes such as sandblasting, this modest Dutch company aims to make good-looking jeans that are ethically and ecologically sound."Fashion is the second biggest polluter in the world," said CEO Bert van Son, who has worked for 35 years in the clothing industry. "Some 24-billion tonnes of cotton are made every year, and 24% of all insecticides and 11% of pesticides are used on cotton. It’s totally out of hand. We need to use organic cotton — which doesn’t pollute the water — or recycle cotton like paper."And so MUD Jeans gives shoppers a unique opportunity: for a one-time €20 membership fee, you can "Lease A Jeans" for €7.50 a month (around $9), paying €90 in installments as opposed to €98 to buy a pair of jeans outright. After a year, you have three options. You can keep your MUD jeans (the company will repair leased jeans free of charge), you can return them...
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