Be the alternative

Diesel was born to be the alternative, the alternative to luxury, the alternative to the traditional five pocket jeans. Now the time has come to apply our anti-establishment spirit and passion for change to creating an alternative to the destructive practices that plague the fashion industry. We believe the most radical thing we can do today is to create low impact products and to find innovative ways to make our business circular offering our customers a brand and products that are made "For Responsible Living".

FOR RESPONSIBLE LIVING PRODUCTS

Our products labelled as “For Responsible Living” are designed to have a significantly lower environmental impact and/or to be more circular.

We take a holistic approach to designing a “For Responsible Living” product, ensuring the fabrics, treatments and trims are all taken into consideration.

Below you can find out about some of the alternatives we are exploring to reduce the impact of our products and to make our business more circular.

A unique QR code is printed on each product to give our customers access to detailed information about the specific attributes that define "For Responsible Living". This information can also be found on the product pages of our website for all products flagged as "For Responsible Living".

ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS

Raw materials make up a significant percentage of the overall impact of our products, so the materials we use matter. By choosing to source lower impact materials particularly those that are certified organic or recycled, we can reduce the amount of water, energy and chemicals used and contribute to a fairer and healthier system for everyone across our supply chain.

To help our design, development and production teams make informed decisions about which materials to use, we have developed and implemented a PREFERRED MATERIALS MATRIX. Wherever possible we will use certified organic or recycled materials in our products.

Moreover, being a member of the Fashion Pact, we are committed to achieving at least 25% of lower impact key raw materials/priority materials (as per Fashion Pact and Textile Exchange definition) by 2025.

Click here to find out more about our “PREFERRED MATERIALS MATRIX”

SPOTLIGHT: ORGANIC COTTON

Cotton being the most commonly used fibre in denim production, is the most widely used material in our collections, representing approximately 80% of the fibres we source. Cotton is grown on 2.4% of the world’s arable land but conventional cotton farming is responsible for approximately 16% of all agricultural insecticides used globally, more than any other single crop (ref. Pesticides Action Network). In contrast, organic farming uses natural methods of pest control such as crop rotation which supports biodiversity and improves soil health; healthy soil stores carbon and retains water. The benefits of organic farming are 360° as the prohibition of genetically modified seeds allows farmers to retain control of seed production and the minimisation of chemical inputs benefits human as well as environmental health. We believe organic is the future that is why we are increasing the proportion of organic cotton in our collection season on season.

ALTERNATIVE PROCESSES

Diesel is famous for distinctive denim washes and finishes, but creating the distressed effect that is our DNA comes at a cost. That is why we have been working tirelessly to seek out, develop and test new denim treatments that reduce water and chemical consumption but still allow us to retain the alternative aesthetic for which we are known.

Alongside our preferred materials matrix, we have created a PREFERRED TREATMENTS MATRIX to help our design, development and production teams to better understand the impacts of the washes and finishes they specify and to encourage them to select preferred treatments with a lower water and chemical footprint.

Click here to find out more about our “PREFERRED TREATMENTS MATRIX”

SPOTLIGHT: WISER WASH®

Wiser Wash® is a revolutionary washing technology that completely avoids the use of pumice stone and of any toxic or hazardous chemicals, while drastically reducing the use of water (full decoloration is achieved with only one cup of water).

ALTERNATIVE TRIMS

Whilst Diesel is known for unique distressed denim, there are a multitude of other components and trims that go into making the perfect pair of Diesel jeans. We believe it is important and necessary to redesign these small and sometimes unseen elements as collectively they add significantly to the overall impact of a product. As with our approach to denim and other material we always look for organic or recycled alternatives for labels, patches, tapes, embroideries and other textile components. Wherever possible we use recycled metals, chrome free leather, and FSC® certified paper, card and patches.

Below are some examples of how we have transitioned conventional trims or components to more responsible alternatives.

SPOTLIGHT: RESPONSIBLE TRIMS

Our zippers use certified recycled polyester tape by Natulon® or certified organic cotton tape
Our buttons and rivets use alternatives to conventional galvanization
The distinctive "Diesel Industry" pocket stripe and our care labels are entirely made from certified recycled polyester

BEHIND THE DENIM DOCUMENTARY

To find out more about how we integrate responsible practices in our denim collections, watch our "Behind the denim" documentary.

Watch now

ALTERNATIVE PACKAGING

We are working to reduce our packaging and where packaging is required both for customers and for transportation we are committed to ensuring that everything card and paper based is FSC® certified. We are also committed to the systematic removal of single used plastic packaging from our logistics by 2025 and are working on switching all our B2B plastic polybags to 100% recycled polyethylene.

The above actions are all in line with the targets of one of the Fashion Pact’s “pillars”, the “Oceans” one, which Diesel is bound to and that require brands to:

Eliminate problematic and unnecessary plastics in B2C packaging by 2025, and in B2B by 2030.
Ensure at least half of all plastic packaging is 100% recycled content by 2025 for B2C and by 2030 for B2B.

ALTERNATIVE PRODUCTS IN ACTION

At Diesel we are developing specific guidelines for our creative and sourcing teams aimed at guiding their practices, promoting a sustainability culture, encouraging the selection of the most responsible options currently available, and seeking out alternatives which align with Diesel’s environmental and social values.

To decrease the environmental impacts associated with garment production, Diesel is working to transition its key product materials to more sustainable alternatives whilst always maintaining our unmistakable Diesel DNA.

CIRCULAR FASHION

WHY CIRCULAR?

A circular system is one without waste, one where products and materials are repaired, reused, remade and recycled. We believe the future of fashion has to be circular. That’s why we are pioneering solutions to keep our products in active use for as long as possible and finding creative ways to reuse and recycle waste across our supply chain.

Discover Diesel's first steps towards circular: Diesel Second Hand and Diesel Rehab Denim.

Diesel x UNIDO

Denim is an environmentally impactful fabric, so here at Diesel we’re always looking for ways to make our signature denim more circular. In partnership with UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization), we piloted a closed-loop recycling system that takes fabric cutting scraps from our Tunisian suppliers and mechanically recycle them into new yarns. These textiles are often downcycled into filling fibres or simply sent to landfill. By the end of 2024, the pilot will transform almost 24 tons of textile waste into 88,000 pairs of jeans, incorporating 20% recycled content from cutting scraps.

PARTNERSHIPS

A JOURNEY TO MAKE TOGETHER

The sustainability journey is not one we can embark on alone, collaboration is essential. We’re proud to have partnered with a number of organisations who are helping us reach our goals and make change happen.

Leather Working Group

At Diesel, we are committed to supporting responsible leather manufacturing across the globe and that is why we are proud members of Leather Working Group (LWG).

ZDHC Roadmap To Zero

Creating the Diesel distressed look, for which we are best known has traditionally used treatments that are intensive in water and chemical use. We are proud to be part of ZDHC ( Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemical) initiative, which includes the MRSL (Manufacturing Restricted Substances List). The programme is focused on best practice in chemicals management to protect humans and the environment.

THE FASHION PACT

The Fashion Pact is a global coalition of companies in the fashion and textile industry (ready-to- wear, sport, lifestyle and luxury) including their suppliers and distributors, all committed to a common core of key environmental goals in three areas: stopping global warming, restoring biodiversity and protecting the oceans. Launched as a mission given to Kering Chairman and CEO, François-Henri Pinault by French President, Emmanuel Macron, the Fashion Pact was presented to Heads of State at the G7 Summit in Biarritz.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR PILLARS

CELEBRATE INDIVIDUALITY

We commit to developing a sustainability culture within the company, honoring employees’ rights and their diversity, which allows us to thrive, treating all equally, nurturing employees to fulfil their potential, and promoting a safe work environment.

PROMOTE INTEGRITY

We commit to working towards the highest social and environmental standards throughout our supply chain, by enhancing the traceability of our products and promoting positive practices amongst our suppliers.

STAND FOR THE PLANET

We commit to climate action, and to rising for environmental stewardship, by minimizing our greenhouse gas emissions, reducing our water footprint, and improving reuse and recycling rates across our operations.