Latest news with #BetterCotton
Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Commerce Commission warning for Kmart over greenwashing
Photo: RNZ The Commerce Commission has warned national retailer Kmart NZ over an environmentally friendly claim likely to mislead consumers. The commission said the national retailer might have breached the Fair Trading Act in making unsubstantiated claims in its "100% sustainably sourced cotton" advertising. Commission general manager Vanessa Horne said greenwashing was a real concern, as well-intentioned consumers were led to believe products were more environmentally friendly than they actually were. "Consumers have a right to clear and accurate information, and greenwashing makes it virtually impossible for a consumer to identify if a product is genuinely sustainable," Horne said. "Kmart's absolute claim of '100 percent sustainably sourced cotton' implies a high level of certainty that we believe Kmart did not have." The commission said Kmart admitted its "Better Cotton" was mixed with conventional cotton in the supply chain. "Kmart could therefore not say with certainty whether 100 percent of the cotton in its clothing was supplied by Better Cotton farmers or was sustainably sourced." Horne said consumers increasingly considered the environment when buying goods or services. "Unsubstantiated claims are unfair for businesses who put in the time and resource to make sure their environmental claims are legitimate," she said. "We are very supportive of businesses getting involved in sustainability initiatives, but as with any advertising, claims made must be accurate and be able to be backed up to avoid breaching the Fair Trading Act. "Our message to businesses is simple: if you can't back it up, don't say it." The commission was inviting consumers to pass on their concerns about potentially misleading claims on its website. The 100 percent sustainable cotton claims were made from August 4, 2023 and removed on October 4, 2024. The commission said legal action remained available to the commission if the conduct was repeated. Kmart has been asked for comment.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
OshKosh B'gosh Parent Company Embraces Ozone, Prepares for Digital Product Passports
OshKosh B'Gosh, the 172-year-old children's denim brand, is embracing sustainable technology. Last week, Carter's Inc, the American heritage company behind Carter's, OshKosh B'gosh, Little Planet, and Skip Hop brands released its 2024 Impact Report, offering key insights into its sustainable initiatives and progress. More from Sourcing Journal Gap Inc. Measures Environmental and Social Impact Fabric Makers Tout Sustainability at Interwoven Textile Fair Global Standard Touts Sustainability Progress in Annual Report The company's 'Raise the Future' sustainability strategy includes commitments to provide more sustainable product offerings, reduce the company's carbon footprint, and support workers and communities. Developing apparel made from more sustainable materials, setting company-wide climate targets verified by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), and enhancing traceability and social compliance programs are central to this strategy. Ozone washing is helping OskKosh reduce its water usage. In late 2024, the company introduced ozone washing technology for the iconic denim brand's 'World's Best Overalls.' The company said it plans to implement the technology across denim production for playwear products and Little Planet in 2025. 'This innovative wash approach marks a significant shift from conventional washing methods,' Carter's Inc. stated in the report. To track progress and gain visibility into washing processes, the company has implemented Jeanologia's Environmental Impact Measuring (EIM) software. 'We expect EIM to complement our goal to utilize the Higg Index and further reduce water usage in the manufacturing and washing of our products in 2025 and beyond,' Carter's stated in the report. The company's efforts to reduce water usage extend beyond denim. Though the number of styles needing additional garment washing increased slightly from 2023 to 2024, the company reports that it has reduced this number by 59 percent since 2019. Sustainably sourced cotton continues to be a challenge for the Atlanta-based children's apparel stalwart. Cotton is Carter's Inc.'s primary fiber, accounting for 70 percent of the company's fabrics in FY 2024. However, its use of sustainably sourced cotton (Better Cotton and certified organic cotton) declined to 28 percent. In 2023, the company reported that more than 40 percent of Carter's cotton was from either sustainable or recycled fibers. Carter's said the decline was largely due to the 'lag time' in the transfer of Better Cotton credits from its suppliers and an updated accounting methodology. The firm pointed out that the process is expected to be more consistent and accurate going forward as it works toward achieving 100 percent sustainably sourced cotton by 2030. During FY 2024, approximately 75 percent of the company's products were sourced from Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangladesh and India. Roughly 81 percent of the cotton fiber used in production was sourced from the U.S., Brazil, India and Australia. Expansion into new markets and dedicated collections are driving sales of sustainable apparel. The company, which reported $2.8 billion in sales for FY 2024, said sustainable products accounted for 4 percent of its overall sales. Traceability is gaining importance across Carter's Inc., particularly as the E.U.'s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) includes a key requirement for Digital Product Passports (DPP) with product sustainability information. The company said the implementation of the DPP presents an opportunity 'to streamline our documentation process and enhance transparency.' To prepare for DPP, the company is providing suppliers with technical guidance and clear communication during manufacturing transitions, improving documentation systems including access to reports and chemical management verification, and relying on third-party safety certifications. Chemical management and reporting play an important role in this process. The company is working toward the goal of 80 percent of its supply chain follows ZDHC MRSL (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals Manufacturing Restricted Substances List) standards by 2025. Progress is being made—80 percent of fabric yards from Tier 2 suppliers and 73 percent of the firm's wash and laundry facilities engage with ZDHC MRSL—but Carter's said supplier location changes have caused minor fluctuations in adoption rates. The report describes how Carter's Inc. collaborates with supply chain partners to reduce the risk of forced labor in raw materials sourcing and production and other regulations by requiring documentation showing material origin providing training and education to suppliers and validating material tracing capabilities through mock audits. In 2024, Carter's Inc. completed in-person training with a new online traceability course that is mandatory for all Tier 2 suppliers. The company also implemented the Labor Line worker helpline program across 35 facilities. The company said it terminated relationships with four Tier 1 suppliers and one Tier 2 supplier due to their inability to demonstrate improvement. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Fashion United
20-06-2025
- Business
- Fashion United
Better Cotton to become regenerative standard
Cotton sustainability initiative Better Cotton announced at its annual conference that it would become a regenerative standard within the next twelve months. 'While Better Cotton's field level standard is already recognised to cover many of the core tenets of regenerative agriculture, this move will further ensure that farmers who meet our standard are adopting the most commonly agreed regenerative practices,' said Eva Benavidez Clayton, senior director of demand and engagement at Better Cotton, at the 2025 Better Cotton Conference in Izmir, Turkey. 'It is increasingly clear that we need approaches that don't simply mitigate or reduce harm, but that actively restore the environment. I am therefore pleased to share that over the next twelve months, Better Cotton will complete the remaining steps to become a regenerative standard,' added Benavidez Clayton. A regenerative standard that actively supports restoring the environment That means updating the standard's principles and criteria, which lay out the global definition of Better Cotton through six guiding principles, and provide training to approved certification bodies to ensure that they are equipped to assess farmers against the revised principles and criteria. The initiative will also work toward strengthening the capacity of the Better Cotton programme partners to implement the standard and develop an outcome-based reporting framework. For the remainder of the year, Better Cotton will thus conduct pilots to advance this work. Next year, the initiative will collaborate with its in-country partners to provide tailored support for farmers as they adopt more regenerative practices. 'Better Cotton showing an interest in owning regenerative agriculture is very positive,' commented Muzaffer Turgut Kayhan, president at IPUD, Better Cotton partner in Turkey.
Business of Fashion
05-06-2025
- Business
- Business of Fashion
Better Cotton Appoints Nick Weatherill CEO
Fashion's biggest sustainable cotton initiative, Better Cotton, has appointed former International Cocoa Initiative executive director Nick Weatherill as its new CEO. Weatherill takes over from Alan McClay, who has led the nonprofit organisation for the past decade. The 20-year-old initiative was set up by an international group of environmental organisations, brands and trade groups with the aim of rapidly increasing volumes of cotton produced with lower environmental impact and higher social standards. Roughly a fifth of the world's cotton production is now certified under the programme and it's become a go-to for brands from H&M to Louis Vuitton. But it's also come under fire from critics who argue its standards are too lax. Weatherill takes over after a period in which the organisation has moved to tighten up its oversight, introducing a traceability solution in 2023 and becoming a certification scheme earlier this year. Weatherill's 'appointment marks a renewed impetus that will ensure Better Cotton evolves to an even more impactful standard, benefitting the environment, farmers, workers, and local economies,' said McClay. Learn more: Are H&M and Zara Harming Forests in Brazil? Cotton linked to environmental and human rights abuses in Brazil is leaking into the supply chains of major fashion brands, a new investigation has found, prompting Zara-owner Inditex to send a scathing rebuke to the industry's biggest sustainable cotton certifier.
Fashion United
05-06-2025
- Business
- Fashion United
Nick Weatherhill appointed CEO of Better Cotton
Better Cotton has announced a change in leadership, with Nick Weatherhill stepping in as Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Alan McClay, who officially announced his departure in December 2024 after a decade at the helm. McClay, who led the organisation for ten years, will remain active within Better Cotton through June 2025 to support a smooth leadership transition. His tenure was marked by significant progress in advancing sustainability standards across the global cotton industry. Weatherhill brings a wealth of experience to the role, having previously worked with the International Cocoa Initiative and the European Commission, as well as serving as a consultant for various international organisations. 'Better Cotton is the most important benchmark for sustainability in the cotton industry—a position that makes its work vital for the entire sector, today and in the years to come,' Weatherhill said in a statement. 'I look forward to leading the organisation at a time when it is increasing its impact on cotton quality and on the livelihoods of millions of farmers and workers worldwide, building on the fantastic work that Alan has done over the past ten years.' This article was translated to English using an AI tool. FashionUnited uses AI language tools to speed up translating (news) articles and proofread the translations to improve the end result. This saves our human journalists time they can spend doing research and writing original articles. Articles translated with the help of AI are checked and edited by a human desk editor prior to going online. If you have questions or comments about this process email us at info@
