Global apparel brands to hike intake of organic cotton

Key findings include the fact that 71% of respondents are planning to increased organic cotton for 2013 and that additional sustainable fibers are also slated for growth.

The Report also shows that C&A, Nudie Jeans, and Puma are prioritizing organic cotton on their preferred fibers lists. C&A and Puma both report that organic cotton provides solid environment credentials specifically in the area of water use. The HIGG Index 1.0 also places organic cotton ahead of conventional options.

Textile Exchange has included two Top 10 lists in the Market Report, one for organic cotton growth by volume and one for organic cotton percentage increase over the previous year. C&A tops both lists with 78% growth in 2012.

This year’s Market Report’s Top 10 organic cotton users by volume are; C&A, H&M, Nike, Puma, Coop Swiss, Anvil, William-Sonoma, Inditex, Carrefour and Target , in order. For the first time, Top 10 Users by volume had to consume over 2 million pounds of organic cotton to make it onto this list!

Another first is the Top 10 Users by Percent Growth. The first time list includes C&A with a growth rate of 78% followed by Nudie Jeans at 69 %. Other leaders driving growth include  PUMA, Otto, Continental Clothing, Anvil, H&M , Bergman Rivera, Inditex, and Nike.

“We’re delighted that the Market Report shows that organic cotton credentials have been verified in studies by industry experts. These studies give credibility to the work we have done over the past 11 years to support the growth of the organic cotton market,” said LaRhea Pepper, Managing Director at Textile Exchange.

Textile Exchange will host the 2013 Textile Sustainability Conference in Istanbul, Turkey November 11-13, 2013. The title of this year’s conference is, “Sustainability: The Future is Now - Unifying Our Industry through Integration and Collaboration”.

The event will include top brands and retailers as well as industry authorities in textile sustainability.

About Textile Exchange

Textile Exchange is a non-profit dedicated to accelerating sustainable practices in the textile industry. TE envisions a textile industry that protects and restores the environment and enhances lives. Industry Integrity is foundational to the work of Textile Exchange, and seeks to support the transparency and integrity of sustainability claims in the marketplace.