After catching up on the rest we missed the day before, the entirety of the Plus 3 Netherlands group was ready to go on the second day of our trip. Our agenda for today: scavenger hunt across the city and a visit to the House of Denim, a company whose main focus is making jeans more environmentally friendly.
We started our day with a scavenger hunt across the city using clues about different landmarks and pieces of history to guide our way. Our team trekked across Amsterdam from Central Station all the way to Waterlooplein which took around 45 to 60 minutes. After placing second, we enjoyed some free time where we walked across the city going into different shops to explore Dutch goods such as fresh cheese and visited the flea markets within Waterlooplein square. It was fascinating to see how many vintage pieces of furniture, clothing, and vinyl records were being sold at these markets. What surprised our group the most was the presence of mainly American musicians within the vinyl records bins with hits by Michael Jackson, The Monkees, and even current music like albums by Renee Rapp. After this, we traveled to the House of Denim where we learned how jeans are made in a more sustainable way that is better for the environment.
While at the House of Denim, I learned that almost 700 liters of water are required for the production of a singular pair of jeans. The lighter the pair of jeans is however, the more water is needed as more washes are required to remove the dark color of the original jean fabric. To fix this problem, innovators at the House of Denim use plastics collected from the ocean and molded together within the washing machine to beat the color out of the jeans and produce an acid wash effect using less resources. While this fits into ensuring water is preserved and ensures more access to water for future generations, the company also focuses on the human side of sustainability. Their main goal is to not only please their customers but also make the work that goes into creating a pair of jeans much easier. They use a laser to engrave patterns on jeans as well as to make holes in the jeans that won’t come apart which protects workers as the previous method of scraping the jeans exposed them to toxic fumes. The House of Denim ensures that not only their process for making jeans is sustainable for the environment but also for the workers behind their production.