MUD Jeans

MUD Jeans is a Netherlands-based denim brand that focuses on manufacturing circular jeans containing up to 40% post-consumer recycled cotton. The company's products are sold in 29 European countries through 300+ retailers (as of July 2019).

The company claims that every pair of MUD Jeans is recycled into new MUD Jeans, leaving no waste and using 92% less water than conventional jeans. The company has diverted 18,363 pairs of jeans from landfills and incineration, avoiding over 251,000 kg of CO2 emissions in 2022. The company aims to achieve 100% circularity by 2025.

MUD Jeans also offers a unique business model called “Lease a Jeans,” which allows consumers to lease jeans in addition to purchasing them. As of September 2023, women's jeans start at EUR 129.95 (~USD 139) for purchase, while men's jeans start at EUR 90.95 (~USD 97). Both are available for lease at EUR 10.80 per month.

Key customers and partnerships

To manufacture its circular denim, MUD has partnered with Recover (for shredding the used jeans, blending, and spinning), Tejidos Royo (for dyeing and weaving), and Yousstex International (for sewing and washing). In 2022, the company partnered with the Van Gogh Museum to launch a collection in which each piece contains 30% hemp fiber, 20% recycled post-consumer denim, and 50% organic cotton. In the same period, the company collaborated with Saxion University and produced the first sample of jeans made from 100% post-consumer recycled cotton. 

Funding and financials

In July 2019, MUD Jeans secured an investment of EUR 1 million (~USD 1.1 million) from Doen Participaties and the Sustainable Economy Participation Fund for North-Holland (PDENH) to develop a pair of jeans from 100% old jeans and enter Scandinavia, France, and the UK.