PRODUCT
Our Sustainable Materials Journey
Our Sustainable Materials Journey
We select fibers and materials that are durable and deliver the safety and comfort our consumers expect. Our primary fabrics for apparel are cotton and polyester, and we have committed to securing those from sustainable sources by 2030. In 2022, cotton (~71% of our fiber) and polyester (~27% of our fiber) accounted for 98% of our fiber use.
We consider a sustainable fiber or material as one that is understood to consume fewer resources over its life cycle when compared to similar fiber or materials made under conventional production. As we evolve our fiber portfolio strategy for our directly-sourced apparel, we intend to transition away from conventionally produced fibers and assess opportunities to increase our use of qualified sustainable fibers, such as:
- Certified Organic (e.g., Global Organic Textile Standard or “GOTS”)
- Verified Recycled (e.g., Global Recycled Standard or “GRS”)
- Substantiated Reduced Environmental Impacts (e.g., Better Cotton and LENZING™ ECOVERO™)
In fiscal 2022, more than 5% of our fibers met this criteria. We are building a roadmap that focuses on our top volume fabrics first and increases our sourcing through programs such as Better Cotton and GOTS.
Our Fiber Usage in 2022
The Benefits of Better Cotton
One of the primary ways we intend to achieve our goal of 100% sustainable cotton is through our participation with the Better Cotton program. Better Cotton methods provide benefits to farmers as well as to the environment, with approximately 2.9 million participating farmers globally. These farmers are able to use fewer pesticides and less water while producing higher yields and profits from their cotton.
Better Cotton includes labor standards that respect and protect the rights of farm workers. Better Cotton has also conducted initiatives to improve gender equality and women’s empowerment in cotton production and to address the specific needs and challenges of women participating in its programs. We are also evaluating the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol for potential future sourcing.
We aim to have Better Cotton account for at least 50% of our cotton by 2026
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Total Cotton (actual)
Consumption (metric tons)
56,859
33,527
33,527*
-
-
-
BCI Goal
1%
10%
25%
35%
45%
50%
BCI Consumed
(actual)(metric tons)
970
2,254
-
-
-
-
% Toward Goal
1.7%
6.7%
-
-
-
-
* 2023 consumption number and goal is based on previous year consumption.