In 2011, Levi Strauss & Co. launched its 'Water<Less' initiative, a program aimed at significantly reducing the amount of water used in the finishing process of denim jeans. The initiative, which involved re-engineering finishing techniques and recycling water, saved millions of liters of water in its first year. The program, headquartered in San Francisco, set a new standard for environmental responsibility in the denim industry and inspired other brands to adopt similar practices.

Levi's Water<Less initiative became a touchstone for poets writing about environmentalism and corporate responsibility, illustrating the potential for industry to address ecological challenges. The program's name, with its mathematical symbol, reflected the quantitative language that has increasingly entered poetic discourse on climate change. The initiative also highlighted the role of the San Francisco Bay Area as a center of both denim innovation and environmental activism, a connection that local poets have celebrated.