MEMPHIS, TENN (June 23, 2021) - The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol welcomes Gildan Activewear and their portfolio of company-owned brands, including Gildan®, Alstyle®, American Apparel®, and Comfort Colors®, as members. The Company serves as one of the world’s largest manufacturers of everyday basic apparel, and it is also one of the largest domestic consumers of U.S. cotton, which represents the majority of the fiber used in Gildan’s products.
“At Gildan, we have a vision of Making Apparel Better®, and we have long been committed to ensuring that our supply chain is ethical and sustainable from fiber to shirt,” said Glenn Chamandy, President and CEO of Gildan. “Joining the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol is a natural next step in our sustainability and transparency journey as it will increasetransparency into our supply chain while also providing us with additional assurance that the cotton we purchase from the U.S. is sustainably grown with low environmental and social risks,” he added.
The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol is a farm level, science-based program that sets a new standard for more sustainably grown cotton. It brings quantifiable and verifiable goals and measurements to sustainable cotton production as well as drives continuous improvement in six key sustainability metrics: Land use, soil carbon, water management, soil loss, GHG emissions, and energy efficiency. Members will also be provided with full supply chain transparency through the Protocol Credit Management System.
“Gildan has a proven track record of a strong commitment to sustainable practices, and we are pleased to welcome them as new members,” says Dr. Gary Adams, president of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. “Their company was founded on the principle of producing sustainable and ethical apparel, to which cotton is a key component. As members of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, we will help them further this principle by providing them third-party verified assurances that they are sourcing responsibly produced, quality fiber and reducing environmental and social risk in their field-to-mill supply chain.”
The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and recognized by Textile Exchange and Forum for the Future, and it is also part of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Cotton 2025 Sustainable Cotton Challenge, Cotton 2040, and Cotton Up initiatives.
About the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol
In a period of ever-greater supply chain scrutiny and a growing demand for transparency, the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol will set a standard for more sustainably grown cotton. It brings quantifiable and verifiable goals and measurement to the issue of responsibly-grown cotton production and drives continuous improvement in key sustainability metrics. The Trust Protocol underpins and verifies U.S. cotton’s progress through sophisticated data collection and independent third-party verification. Choosing Trust Protocol cotton will give brands and retailers the critical assurances they need that the cotton fiber element of their supply chain is more sustainably grown with lower environmental and social risk. Brands and retailers will gain access to U.S. cotton with sustainability credentials proven via Field to Market, measured via the Fieldprint Calculator and verified with Control Union Certifications. The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol is overseen by a multi-stakeholder Board of Directors comprised of representatives from brands and retailers, civil society and independent sustainability experts as well as the cotton-growing industry, including growers, ginners, merchants, wholesalers and cooperatives, mills and cottonseed handlers. More information can be found at www.TrustUSCotton.org.
About Gildan
Gildan is a leading manufacturer of everyday basic apparel which markets its products in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America under a diversified portfolio of Company-owned brands, including Gildan®, American Apparel®, Comfort Colors®, Gildan® Hammer™, Prim + Preux®, GOLDTOE®, Anvil® by Gildan®, Alstyle®, Secret®, Silks®, Kushyfoot®, Secret Silky®, Therapy Plus®, Peds®, and MediPeds®, and under the Under Armour® brand through a sock licensing agreement providing exclusive distribution rights in the United States and Canada. Our product offering includes activewear, underwear, socks, hosiery, and legwear products sold to a broad range of customers, including wholesale distributors, screenprinters or embellishers, as well as to retailers that sell to consumers through their physical stores and/or e-commerce platforms, and to global lifestyle brand companies.
Gildan owns and operates vertically integrated, large-scale manufacturing facilities which are primarily located in Central America, the Caribbean, North America, and Bangladesh. Gildan operates with a strong commitment to industry-leading labour and environmental practices throughout its supply chain in accordance with its comprehensive Genuine Responsibility® program embedded in the Company’s long-term business strategy. More information about the Company and its ESG practices and initiatives can be found at www.gildancorp.com and www.genuineresponsibility.com, respectively.
Media Contacts:
U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol: Janice Walters, Janice.Walters@hkstrategies.com; +1 (571) 527-9840
Gildan: Genevieve Gosselin, communications@gildan.com