Jeanswest Sustainability Profile

Jeanswest is an Australian denim and clothing brand that says it has been making clothes since 1972. Its public sustainability picture is mixed. On its own site, it talks about using recycled, organic, and plant-based fabrics, and about making clothes that last longer. Independent ratings are less positive. Good On You rates it very poorly overall, mainly because it does not show enough action on emissions, materials, waste, chemicals, or labour. Third-party sources also point to some sustainability steps, such as joining packaging and clothing stewardship schemes and signing labour-related pledges, but there are also serious concerns about worker pay and supply-chain practices.

Positive Sentiment Found
There are some positive signals around Jeanswest’s sustainability efforts, but they are limited. Independent sources say the brand is part of Seamless, Australia’s clothing stewardship scheme, which supports reuse, repair, and recycling, and that it has signed the Turkmen Cotton Pledge to avoid cotton linked to forced labour in Turkmenistan. Greenpeace also notes a commitment to 100% renewable electricity by 2030 and investment in on-site solar. APCO reporting shows a packaging performance level of 2, described as Good Progress. Good On You gives the brand a strong animal score of 4 out of 5, mainly because it does not use animal products, although it still rates the brand very poorly overall on environmental and labour issues.

Common Criticisms:
The main third-party picture is negative. Good On You rates Jeanswest “We avoid” and says its environment rating is very poor, with little use of eco-friendly materials, no evidence of textile-waste reduction, and no meaningful action on hazardous chemicals. It also gives the brand a very poor labour rating and says there is no evidence of worker empowerment or strong supply-chain safeguards. Trustpilot reviews for the Australian site are also weak, with a 1.7 out of 5 score from 17 reviews. Independent reporting adds labour concerns: Politix, a Country Road Group subsidiary, back-paid about $2.1 million in 2023 after underpaying around 850 workers, and other worker-rights complaints have been raised in Australia and Bangladesh-linked supply chains. These reports point to gaps in transparency and weak social performance.