Gildan Activewear joins US Cotton Trust Protocol
Montreal-headquartered apparel manufacturer Gildan Activewear, home to brands including Gildan and American Apparel, has joined the US Cotton Trust Protocol (Trust Protocol).
A press release described the company as one of the world’s largest manufacturers of everyday basic apparel, as well as one of the biggest consumers of US-grown cotton (reportedly the main fibre used in its products).
Membership of the Trust Protocol will give Gildan Activewear access to a “science-based” credit system which validates consumption of cotton and helps aggregate year-on-year data in six areas of sustainability: land use, soil carbon, water management, soil loss, greenhouse gas emissions and energy efficiency.
President and chief executive of the Canadian company, Glenn Chamandy, commented: “Joining the US Cotton Trust Protocol is a natural next step in our sustainability and transparency journey, as it will increase transparency in our supply chain while also providing us with additional assurance that the cotton we purchase from the US is sustainably grown, with low environmental and social risks.”
Adding to this, Trust Protocol president, Dr Gary Adams, said: “Gildan Activewear was founded on the principle of producing sustainable and ethical apparel, for which cotton is a key component.
“As a member of the US Cotton Trust Protocol, we will help them further this principle by providing them third-party-verified assurances that they are sourcing responsibly produced, quality fibre and reducing environmental and social risk in their field-to-mill supply chain.”
Image: Gildan Activewear brand American Apparel via Instagram.
