Advance Denim, one of the top three Chinese denim manufacturers, became a U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol member – noting that it joined because it wanted to source more sustainable fiber through this sustainability initiative. Advance Denim joins more than 200 other Trust Protocol member mills and manufacturers which play a key role in providing a more secure and transparent supply chain to brands and retailers.
The Trust Protocol provides fashion brands and retailers with the critical assurances they need to show the cotton fiber element of their supply chain is more responsibly grown. It works by providing member brands such as Gap Inc. and Next access to the Trust Protocol credit system to validate consumption of cotton and associated credit; and to aggregate year-over-year data in six sustainability areas: water use, greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, soil carbon, soil loss, and land use efficiency.
In a news release, Advance Denim stated that as a Trust Protocol member, Advance Denim now can provide its customers with all-important confidence about the U.S. cotton in their sourcing mix. Its membership also comes at a time when demand for denim is increasing amongst brands seeking to satisfy customers and their love for the versatile fabric. Recent Google Trends data reveals that online searches for new denim styles have increased exponentially over the last year across the world, with a 1300% increase in ‘denim masks’ and 110% increase in ‘denim cargo shorts.’
Trust Protocol President Gary Adams said, “Advance Denim is committed to playing a leading role in sustainable solutions for the denim industry, and we are delighted to be supporting them in this ambition. Collaboration is key, as with each member that joins, we have greater resources to help provide tools and knowledge to not only help U.S. growers improve their sustainability practices but to also give more mills, manufacturers, brands and retailers the supply chain confidence they need.”
For more information on the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, please visit https://trustuscotton.org.