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Kontoor to save 10 billion litres of water by 2025
03 Oct '20
4 min read
Pic: Kontoor Brands
Kontoor Brands, a global lifestyle apparel company with two iconic consumer brands, Wrangler and Lee, will work to save 10 billion litres of water and power 100 per cent of owned and operated facilities with renewable energy by 2025, and establish a science-based climate target by 2022. The company has also released its first report on sustainability.
The company has announced its first set of global sustainability goals. It aspires to transform the industry by taking a holistic approach to apparel and denim production.
“Denim is known as being tough, durable and long-lasting. But the production process historically has been resource-intensive. We’re facing this challenge head-on by scrutinising every aspect of the denim lifecycle and investing as needed to develop more sustainable processes,” said Scott Baxter, president and CEO, Kontoor Brands. “With a little over one year behind us as a publicly traded company, we are proud of our initial steps in a long-term commitment to maximise value and innovate for a healthier future.”
Kontoor’s global sustainability strategy focuses on three pillars with specific measurable goals, aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, to track progress and ensure accountability.
Wrangler and Lee have been working for environmental protection. One example is Indigood foam dye which eliminates water from the denim dyeing process. Kontoor has helped bring this revolutionary process to market and is exploring new emerging technologies that further reduce water use in the denim production process.
Through such efforts, Kontoor intends to achieve goals such as saving 10 billion litres of water by 2025, power 100 per cent of owned and operated facilities with renewable energy by 2025, and establish a science-based climate target by 2022.
Kontoor has been moving towards sustainable suppliers, materials and operations for the products it produces each year. The company has focused on sustainable cotton sourcing practices by prioritising regenerative agriculture principles that have the potential to drive three times the amount of carbon into soils over conventional practices. Wrangler has invested in farmer training to promote these principles through the use of cover crops, complex rotation and conservation tillage.
Through its global product strategy, Kontoor has set goals to source 100 per cent sustainable raw materials, including forest-derived materials and animal-derived materials by 2023, cotton by 2025 and synthetics by 2030, and use 100 per cent preferred chemistry by 2023.
Kontoor is also engaging members of the communities where it operates and collaborating with the company’s suppliers for safe, secure workplaces for every person in its supply chain. In addition to Kontoor’s Inclusion and Diversity strategy, which outlines specific goals and detailed action plans, the company also intends to work only with factories that support a worker well-being or community development initiative by 2025.
“Kontoor Brands is focused on driving meaningful improvements across the apparel production process, which can only be achieved through collaborations for greater transparency,” said Roian Atwood, senior director, Global Sustainable Business. “We have an opportunity to address some of our industry’s most pressing global issues and are committed to being a good corporate citizen as we operate in the world.”
Kontoor has also released its first sustainability report, summarising its global impact during the 2019 calendar year. Through this reporting effort, Kontoor took a holistic approach to stakeholder engagement.
“We aspire to be a global leader in sustainability, helping pave the way for the future of the industry through innovation and action. We will regularly report on our progress toward our goals and our overall environmental impacts,” added Baxter. “Even as we navigate the uncertainty related to the global pandemic, we are firmly committed to sustainable business practices and operating with the highest standards of ethics and transparency.”
The company has announced its first set of global sustainability goals. It aspires to transform the industry by taking a holistic approach to apparel and denim production.
“Denim is known as being tough, durable and long-lasting. But the production process historically has been resource-intensive. We’re facing this challenge head-on by scrutinising every aspect of the denim lifecycle and investing as needed to develop more sustainable processes,” said Scott Baxter, president and CEO, Kontoor Brands. “With a little over one year behind us as a publicly traded company, we are proud of our initial steps in a long-term commitment to maximise value and innovate for a healthier future.”
Kontoor’s global sustainability strategy focuses on three pillars with specific measurable goals, aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, to track progress and ensure accountability.
Wrangler and Lee have been working for environmental protection. One example is Indigood foam dye which eliminates water from the denim dyeing process. Kontoor has helped bring this revolutionary process to market and is exploring new emerging technologies that further reduce water use in the denim production process.
Through such efforts, Kontoor intends to achieve goals such as saving 10 billion litres of water by 2025, power 100 per cent of owned and operated facilities with renewable energy by 2025, and establish a science-based climate target by 2022.
Kontoor has been moving towards sustainable suppliers, materials and operations for the products it produces each year. The company has focused on sustainable cotton sourcing practices by prioritising regenerative agriculture principles that have the potential to drive three times the amount of carbon into soils over conventional practices. Wrangler has invested in farmer training to promote these principles through the use of cover crops, complex rotation and conservation tillage.
Through its global product strategy, Kontoor has set goals to source 100 per cent sustainable raw materials, including forest-derived materials and animal-derived materials by 2023, cotton by 2025 and synthetics by 2030, and use 100 per cent preferred chemistry by 2023.
Kontoor is also engaging members of the communities where it operates and collaborating with the company’s suppliers for safe, secure workplaces for every person in its supply chain. In addition to Kontoor’s Inclusion and Diversity strategy, which outlines specific goals and detailed action plans, the company also intends to work only with factories that support a worker well-being or community development initiative by 2025.
“Kontoor Brands is focused on driving meaningful improvements across the apparel production process, which can only be achieved through collaborations for greater transparency,” said Roian Atwood, senior director, Global Sustainable Business. “We have an opportunity to address some of our industry’s most pressing global issues and are committed to being a good corporate citizen as we operate in the world.”
Kontoor has also released its first sustainability report, summarising its global impact during the 2019 calendar year. Through this reporting effort, Kontoor took a holistic approach to stakeholder engagement.
“We aspire to be a global leader in sustainability, helping pave the way for the future of the industry through innovation and action. We will regularly report on our progress toward our goals and our overall environmental impacts,” added Baxter. “Even as we navigate the uncertainty related to the global pandemic, we are firmly committed to sustainable business practices and operating with the highest standards of ethics and transparency.”
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SV)
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