product
our sustainable materials journey
We are aiming to increase the sustainability of our core fabric portfolio, while maintaining the exceptional quality and safety standards that families expect from Carter’s. Cotton remains our primary fabric, accounting for almost 70% of our fiber usage, and our goal is to use 100% sustainable cotton fibers by 2030.
The apparel industry continues to face significant challenges in scalability of recycled polyester, including intensifying competition for post-consumer plastic bottles and escalating costs for certified recycled materials. Given these market constraints, we made a strategic decision to remove polyester from our sustainable fiber goal. This adjustment refines the focus of our sustainable materials efforts to where we believe we can make a meaningful impact.
28%
Goal
Achieve 100% sustainable cotton fibers by 2030
2024 PROGRESSGoal
28% of our cotton was sustainably sourced in 20248
We define sustainable fibers as those that have a lower negative environmental impact over their life cycles than conventional counterparts.
Materials Certifications
We demonstrate our ongoing commitment to sourcing sustainable materials through a comprehensive fiber portfolio strategy. We actively prioritize, and continue to increase our use of, independently verified sustainable fibers, including:
Certified Organic Materials
We prioritize GOTS-certified (Global Organic Textile Standard) materials for brands like Little Planet, validating:
- Organic farming practices
- Ethical labor conditions
- Environmentally responsible processing
- Recycled content claims
- Responsible social practices (GRS only)
- Environmental standards (GRS only)
- Chemical safety protocols (GRS only)
- Better Cotton: Supporting more sustainable cotton farming practices and improved farmer livelihoods
- LENZING™ ECOVERO™ Viscose: Using fibers produced with significantly lower environmental impact through responsible wood sourcing and closed-loop processing
2024 Fiber Usage
FY 2024
Fibers
69% COTTON
28% POLYESTER
2% VISCOSE
0.8% ELASTANE
0.8% ELASTANE
Cotton
72% Conventional cotton
28% SUSTAINABLE COTTON
- 24.7% better cotton
- 3.4% certified Organic COTTON
Polyester
99% Virgin polyester
0.2% Recycled polyester
Our sustainable materials strategy directly supports our goal to become the U.S. market leader in sustainable children’s apparel, addresses consumer preferences for safe and sustainable products, and aims to manage supply chain resilience and raw material sourcing risks.
better cotton
Better Cotton represents the foundation of Carter’s sustainable materials strategy, delivering both environmental benefits and business value through improved supply chain transparency and resilience. Through its implementing partners, Better Cotton trains farmers to use water efficiently, care for soil health and natural habitats, reduce use of the most harmful chemicals, and respect workers’ rights and well-being.
We believe Better Cotton remains our primary pathway to achieving 100% sustainable cotton by 2030. In 2024, we sourced approximately 25% of our cotton through Better Cotton, falling short of our interim sustainable cotton target of 50%. This is largely due to the lag time in the transfer of Better Cotton credits from our suppliers and an updated accounting methodology which we believe should improve consistency and accuracy going forward. Due to these issues, we are also restating our progress from 2023. We are actively working to improve our data validation procedures and expect to be on track to achieve our interim goal in 2025.
Better Cotton Goal
2022
2023
2024
10%
25%
50%
Pinch to zoom in
We fell short of our interim sustainable cotton target with approximately 25% of our cotton sourced through Better Cotton in 2024.
25%
2024
Better Cotton
Consumption
24%
2023
7%
2022
Better Cotton Highlight:
U.S. Better Cotton Farmers Promote Regenerative Practices*
Quarterway Cotton Growers—a Better Cotton Licensing Management Partner in the U.S.—are experimenting with practices and systems to improve soil health, water use, and overall efficiency. They are reducing fuel consumption with more efficient equipment. Many are cover cropping with wheat, rye, or triticale, and then planting into crop residue to minimize wind erosion and increase soil cover. Others are modifying row spacing to increase yield per plant, reduce seed costs, and improve water use efficiency, or installing drip irrigation for even more targeted water use. To learn more about Quarterway Cotton Growers, visit this link.
*
The stories and outcomes featured here reflect the experiences of individual Better Cotton licensed farmers in specific regions. Results may vary by country due to differences in local conditions and other contextual factors. These stories do not represent the outcomes of all Better Cotton licensed farms.
sustainable apparel & goods
Carter’s commitment to sustainable apparel and goods continues to be led by our Little Planet and Skip Hop brands, along with targeted collections like PurelySoft. Our approach combines innovative design, sustainable materials, and strategic distribution expansion to create lasting value for both our customers and our business.
Our sustainable product offerings continue to evolve. Rising demand for sustainable products connects us with new audiences as we expand our retail footprint with innovative store formats. This consumer-driven focus on sustainability also supports our global expansion, as markets worldwide embrace responsible fashion choices. Throughout this evolution, we maintain our commitment to product innovation, quality, and safety—principles that have defined Carter’s for nearly 160 years while adapting to meet the changing needs of families today.
GOAL
Become the U.S. market leader of sustainable children’s apparel
2024 PROGRESS
Grew sustainable product sales to 4% of our overall sales
GOAL
Continue growth of
Little Planet brand
2024 PROGRESS
Expanded Little Planet distribution from less than 800 to over 2,100 retail and wholesale stores from 2022 to 2024
Little Planet
Little Planet serves as our sustainability innovation incubator, pioneering practices that inform our broader organizational approach to providing sustainably-made products that maintain high quality. We launched Little Planet in 2021 as a primarily organic and sustainable apparel brand, designed to meet growing demand for beautiful, heirloom-quality baby and toddler products made with sustainable materials. The assortment of products includes apparel ranging from infant to kid sizes, sleepwear, swimwear, outerwear, bedding, accessories, and toys. The brand’s unique positioning combines GOTS-certified organic materials and recycled fabrics with gender-neutral, timeless designs that resonate across varied consumer segments.
Little Planet achieved significant growth in 2024 through:
Distribution Expansion
- Little Planet displays featured in over 600 U.S. retail stores, and 1,500 wholesale partner locations
- Full presence across our entire Canadian retail portfolio (190 locations)
- Over 10 dedicated retail environments
- Testing more sustainable displays and inventory management systems
- Enhanced customer experiences driving strong performance metrics
- Size range expansion up to size 8
- Continued success of recycled swim and organic sleepwear and denim programs
- Focus on sustainable, evergreen essentials
- Notably higher male shopper engagement
- (47% versus 26% for core Carter’s brand)
- Strong multicultural engagement (29% Hispanic customer base)
PurelySoft
Building on the success and learnings from Little Planet, PurelySoft represents our strategic expansion into sustainable everyday essentials. Launched in 2023, this innovative collection combines comfort with environmental responsibility through its use of wood-based fibers from sustainably managed forests. The brand exemplifies our commitment to making sustainable options accessible while maintaining the quality our customers expect.
The collection has demonstrated exceptional market performance:
- Grew over 260% in U.S. Retail sales since 2023
- Expanded product assortment to new silhouettes, including fold-over mitts and feet, all leveraging the soft and stretchy wood-based fibers
Skip Hop
Skip Hop continues to lead innovation in children’s products through its Must-Haves Made Better® brand promise. The brand’s commitment to sustainability is demonstrated, in part, through its designated “grow with me” products which extend a product’s lifecycle and reduce the need for parents to buy multiple items—reducing environmental impact and providing enhanced value to parents through products that grow with their children.
Skip Hop is also committed to transitioning to more sustainable packaging. The brand advanced these efforts in 2024 by completing a conversion to recycled poly bags for its soft goods, with the total packaging transition resulting in an 18% reduction in virgin
plastic usage.
REDUCING OUR FOOTPRINT
In 2024, Skip Hop began transitioning conventional plastic straw bottles to be made with Tritan™ Renew from Eastman, which uses 50% certified recycled content. This has diverted nearly 7,000 pounds of waste, or the equivalent of over 300,000 single use plastic bottles, from landfills and reduced carbon emissions by over 5,800 pounds of CO2e.10
Award Winning
“grow with me” Products
Discoversity 3-in-1
Sensory Table
Early sensory exploration begins with floor play then converts to sensory table and play table as toddler grows
Explore & More Baby’s View 3-Stage Activity Center
Converts from an interactive bouncer to activity center for early walkers and finally a toddler play table
Wave 4-in-1 Baby Bath Tub
Designed to make bath time easier for parents, it grows with baby in four stages—from infant to toddler
