Special Report
The future is sustainable I
’m sure I’m not in the minority when it comes to not fully understanding, recognising or appreciating the differences between organic cotton and sustainable cotton.
Rather than try to provide a meagre attempt at explaining the difference, I thought I would ask two of the largest apparel manufacturers in the printwear industry for their thoughts on what’s what. With 25 company-owned manufacturing facilities across the globe, Gildan certainly knows a thing or two about cotton. Gildan’s president of sales, marketing and distribution, Chuck Ward, explains that organic cotton refers to cotton produced by certified organic standards, which includes cotton grown from non-GMO seeds and without the use of pesticides or other chemicals and fertilisers.
He continues to explain that there are two types of certifications that buyers can get when it comes to organic cotton. The first is a farm-level certification and the second is a finished product certification. However, it is important to note that organic certifications for cotton do not cover additional factors, such as harvesting and farming practices or certain environmental impacts. This is where sustainable cotton enters. “Sustainable cotton covers a larger scope, namely how a cotton crop is grown and harvested,” he continues. “Sustainable cotton under the Better Cotton Initiative and The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol for instance, take into consideration the labour and human rights practices involved, in addition to the environmental practices. This allows buyers to understand energy used and GHG emissions on how the crop was produced, but also the working conditions the farmers and growers have. In short, sustainable cotton takes a more holistic approach to its impact.”
Made the right way
For FOL International, sustainable cotton means cotton that was made the right way, as Christian Lanvermann, brand marketing manager at FOL International, explains:
| 26 | July 2022
“This includes ethical business practices and manufacturing, with modern production facilities, transparent supply chains, independent certifications, sustainable sourcing as well as safe and fair working conditions. As a company committed to the respect for human rights, we only use ethically produced yarn to manufacture our garments. Since 2013, we do not use Uzbekistan cotton, and since 2019, we do not use cotton from Turkmenistan or the Xinjiang Uyghur region in China.” There are numerous parallels between Gildan and FOL International as both manufacturers strive to become more sustainable in their practices. Firstly, both manufacturers source the majority of their cotton from the United States mainly because of the inherent ethical and sustainable benefits that it has as a highly regulated crop.
Chuck explains: “US cotton is regulated as a food crop under strict United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines. So, for us, cotton grown in the US represents the best combination of quality and value for our products. Under the guidance of the National Cotton Council, USDA, and various other organisations, US farmers have continuously reduced their environmental footprint by adopting various agricultural practices to conserve resources and maximise efficiency.
“Over the past 35 years, US cotton production has used 79% less water
P&P editor Melanie Attlesey takes a look at sustainable cotton – what it is and what makes it the future garment manufacture.
A cotton field in Texas
per bale and 54% less energy, reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 40%, all while reducing land use per bale by 49%. The adoption of practices such as minimal tillage, GPS and sensor-driven precision agriculture, and the growing of winter cover crops have further improved soil health, reducing loss and erosion by 37% per acre and increasing soil carbon levels. In addition, cotton uses less water than many other major crops produced in this country.” Secondly, both companies also own and operate their manufacturing facilities to further control the process. “Having full control over production means we can control the quality, the colour, and consistency of the garments,” says Christian. “But even more importantly, it means we can make our collections fairly and with respect for the people we work with, along with a committed focus on sustainability and environmentally-sound production.”
And thirdly, both companies have also recently launched their own sustainably campaigns to drive the message home to customers about the value of sustainable cotton and the manufacturing process. Both share the goal of using and sourcing 100% sustainable cotton by 2025. The Gildan Respects campaign aims to reinforce the appeal of Gildan’s approach to making apparel products with respect for the environment, circularity, communities and transparency. Whereas
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
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