Care Tags for the Planet

The next time you consult the care tag on your new pair of Levi's to find out if you can throw them in the dryer or not, you'll also find instructions on how to care for the environment.

Levi Strauss & Co. and Goodwill announced Thursday that they are teaming up in a new initiative that aims to divert billions of pounds of unwanted clothing from landfills into the hands of people who need them, reports PRNewswire. 

"Our collective goal is to extend the idea of Care Tags beyond washing, drying and ironing — to encouraging consumers to donate these clothes when no longer needed," said Goodwill of San Francisco CEO and President Deborah Alvarez-Rodriguez.

According to Goodwill, the organization's US and Canadian stores divert more than 1.5 billion pounds of clothing and textiles from landfills every year.

The new care tags, affectionately termed Care Tags for the Planet, will be available in Levi's retail and wholesale operations in the U.S. in January 2010 and the regional and global tags will appear in clothes in Fall 2010. 

Levi's brand and Goodwill will also spread the word to consumers through online viral campaigns and in retailstore communications.

Photo courtesy of jurek d. via Flickr.