Mud Jeans is discontinuing its pioneering circular leasing model

Mud Jeans is discontinuing “Lease A Jeans,” the concept that actually launched the Dutch denim brand. While its circular ambition remains, it is shifting toward repair, resale, and recycling.

Operational hurdles

Through the leasing model, customers could use a pair of jeans via monthly payments instead of buying them outright. At the end of the term, customers choose whether to keep the jeans, exchange them, or return them for recycling. The concept brought Mud Jeans international recognition and brought circularity in denim into the conversation, but after years of testing, the company has concluded that the model does not work on a larger scale.