Our iconic denim starts as cotton. We’re on a mission to protect the land from which it grows. From protecting the soil to saving water to reducing waste and energy use, we are constantly challenging ourselves and the farmers we work with to leave less of an impact on the planet.
Cotton is not easy on the Earth. But if we take the right steps now to lessen that impact, our family farmers will still be working the same lands decades down the road. And that’s what we’re doing. We’re leading the way on soil health with no-till farming, crop rotation and cover cropping that builds crop resilience and production while reducing water and energy needs. We’re also sponsoring research into innovative new practices and education programs for our cotton farmers that will preserve the land for the next generation.
The soil we sow. The air we breathe. The water we drink. It’s all made cleaner by renewable energy. So, we’re cleaning up the energy it takes to produce our denim across the entire supply chain. For our owned facilities, we’re investing in solar, wind and geothermal projects with the goal of 100% renewable energy by 2025. For those facilities we don’t own, we’re partnering with our suppliers to offer education and support in their efforts to be more energy efficient.
The manufacturing of denim has typically required a lot of water. It’s a problem. One we’ve long been working to correct. Indigood is our on-going development of technologies and processes that save a minimum of 90% of water from the dyeing, fabric finishing or wastewater treatment of the dyeing operation. Our commitment to sustainable cotton, which requires less water to yield the same cotton, and our expanded use of hemp and recycled fibers further lessen our reliance on water. We’ve already saved 7 billion liters of water from our fiber, fabric and finishing processes, working towards our goal of reducing water consumption by 50% by 2030.
We have a responsibility to the planet and the people who live here to constantly find ways to limit the amount of waste we create through reduction, recycling and reuse. Our parent company, Kontoor Brands, currently operates six zero waste distribution centers throughout North America. We have also made strides towards making fashion more circular through our use of recycled fibers and our participation in the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Jeans Redesign seeking to revolutionize how the jeans we love are made.
Shop our ever-growing lines of sustainably made denim.