Why Behind the Buckle is Important to the Planet

Behind The Buckle: Your Positive Sustainability Impact

*Based on: Three jeans out of 7 are not unworn (Fashion United), Glamour

However, a conservative estimate, as Americans do not use 82% of clothes in their closet (Fashion United) — and the BTB belt/waist adjuster salvages any garment with a button at the waist that's up to 2" too small or large. (This includes khakis, shorts, skirts, etc.)

**See “Sustainability Facts” below for sources.

We created Behind the Buckle (BTB) with the idea that saving jeans and other wardrobe items with a button at the waist that otherwise fit well 99% — makes good sense. The pandemic has also underscored how precious our humanity and resources are, but also the value of products that provide greater comfort. 

Our waist adjusting belts, which accommodate normal weight fluctuations, come at a welcome time. It’s exciting to see so many jean manufacturers using natural fibers and other processes to make their production more eco-friendly. 

Consumers can make huge strides to advance the cause of protecting the planet right now. One of them is to leverage the investment made in their wardrobe by using our belt to make these garments more renewable. We’ve gone a step further with our new line of vegan and vegan cactus belts. 

We believe there will always be a demand for high quality, long-lasting leather goods that may last for a generation if maintained well; and therefore, have decided to keep that in our product line. 

Below are some mind-blowing statistics we’ve gathered that should help convince you that we must start becoming more socially conscious now about our wardrobe. Please take a look at our BTB Sustainability Impact Chart.

Sustainability Facts: Denim and Clothing

1. The average American throws away about 81 pounds of clothes every year — that's the weight of an 11-year-old child! Globally, it’s equivalent to a garbage truck fully filled with textiles and clothes being thrown into landfills every single second of the day, every year.
   
   
2. Around 85% of all textiles thrown away in the US – roughly 13 million tons in 2017 – are either dumped into landfill or burned. Textiles can take up to 200+ years to decompose in landfills.
   
   
3. One pair of jeans emits 73 pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere, the equivalent of driving more than 620 miles in a car.
   
   
4. Manufacturers use more than 1,800 gallons of water to make just one pair of blue jeans. That’s equivalent to the recommended, eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day of consumption (182 gallons a year) you would drink for 10 years! And that’s before you’ve even launder your jeans.
   
   
5. We use only 4 out of 7 jeans (but studies suggest that many more are stashed away or discarded). For example, one credible study says American don’t wear 82 percent of the clothes in their closet.
   
   
6. The fashion industry is responsible for 20% of global waste water.
   
   
7. The average consumer bought 60% more clothing than they had in 2000, but kept each garment half as long.
   
   
8. The average price of a pair of women's jeans is 165.44 U.S. dollars. The price of one BTB belt starts at $59.
   
   
9. The U.S. alone sends about 21 billion pounds of textile waste to landfills every year.
   
   
10. Only 10-15% of donated clothing actually ends up in the secondhand market. National charities like Goodwill and the Salvation Army get more donations than they can handle, so much of it is packed up and re-sold overseas or sent to landfills.
    
    
11. It is estimated that about 3kg chemicals are needed to make one pair of jeans, which weigh about 1kg: ZenStiching.