Sustainable Cotton - Snickers Workwear Best Practices
Committed to making conscious cotton choices
Cotton accounts for a large part of Snickers Workwear’s total use of textile fibres. That’s why it is imperative that we address our cotton sourcing in order to reduce our environmental impact, without compromising on quality or product longevity.
“We are committed to sourcing 80% of our cotton as more sustainable cotton by 2023” - In other words, cotton sourced through the Better Cotton Initiative, organic cotton or recycled cotton.
Why shift to preferred cotton fibre?
Cotton is a natural fibre it is also biodegradable and renewable. However, it’s linked to several negative impacts on the environment and the people as it’s an intensive crop to farm in terms of extensive water consumption and intense chemical use. Therefore, cotton farming affects the soil, biodiversity and the people working in cotton production, all clear reasons to source our cotton in a more responsible way. Preferred cotton means fibres sourced as organic, recycled or via the Better Cotton Initiative, all options considered as preferred cotton according to the definition of the global non-profit organisation Textile Exchange. Preferred fibre has more sustainable properties in comparison to conventional options.
Cotton sourced through the Better Cotton Initiative
Snickers Workwear is a member of the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), a non-profit organisation that promotes sustainability in the cotton sector. The BCI helps millions of cotton growers to embrace more environmentally friendly, socially and economically sustainable farming methods, creating a huge impact and shaping the future of the cotton industry.
So how much Better Cotton can be found in a pair of Snickers Workwear trousers? The truth is no one knows – Better Cotton is not physically segregated, and is mixed with conventional cotton on its journey from field to product. The initiative is not about how much Better Cotton can be found in each garment; it’s about creating demand for Better Cotton that positively impacts farmers and the environment. Gradually, as we and other brands – and our end users – increase the demand for Better Cotton, even more farmers will join the programme. With significant purchasing power and influence, all of us play a key role in driving change and accelerating demand for Better Cotton. Read more about Better Cotton and the BCI at bettercotton.org
“We partner with the Better Cotton Initiative to improve cotton farming globally”
“Better Cotton is sourced via a system of mass balance, and is not physically traceable to end products.'' See https://bettercotton.org/massbalance for details.
Organic cotton
Organic cotton is grown without synthetic pesticides or chemical fertilisers, and using non-GM seeds (Genetically modified). It’s a fantastic standard that we fully embrace. Yet it covers a very small part – less than one percent – of the global cotton production. This makes it difficult to scale the required speed to develop a more sustainable cotton industry. Unlike with BCI Cotton, certified organic cotton is used in the actual garments that the material was sourced for.
Recycled cotton
When using recycled cotton, we help to reduce waste and prevent material going to landfill. By contributing to a reduction in the use of energy, water and chemicals needed compared to virgin cotton fibres, the advantages are obvious. However, recycled cotton has disadvantages that should also be taken into consideration. The fibre quality is reduced when cotton is recycled mechanically, therefore it must be mixed with virgin cotton, or another fibre, so that the fabric can maintain properties suitable for garment making. We monitor technical development in this field, because possibilities to use recycled cotton might increase in the future.
This article was copied from Snickersworkwear.com