You will need water for growing cotton. Then you’ll use more water for staining and washing the jeans. Using a lot of water can hurt the environment. Your little farm in West Africa could run very low on water. By measuring how much water you use, you can hopefully avoid harming your community.

Most dyes are made of chemicals. Some dyes can be pretty dangerous. When jeans are washed in some dyes the chemical mess gets into the water near factories. This can create big problems for the community. By choosing a dye carefully you can avoid anything too harmful.

Oh no! The cheap dye you bought is dangerous. Several factory workers are sick. The dye has polluted the water. Community members are really mad. Your customers hear about your pollution and no longer want to buy your jeans, even though they are cheap.