Kontoor sets targets for planet, product and people
Scott Baxter (pictured), CEO of Kontoor Brands, said: “Denim is known as being tough, durable and long-lasting. But the production process historically has been resource-intensive. We’re facing this challenge head-on by scrutinising every aspect of the denim lifecycle and investing as needed to develop more sustainable processes.”
The strategy focuses on three pillars – planet, product and people - aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Wrangler and Lee worked with Spanish mill Tejidos Royo for Indigood foam dye, which eliminates water from the denim dyeing process. The groups says it is exploring new emerging technologies that further reduce water use in the denim production process.
Its planet goals are:
• save 10 billion litres of water by 2025
• power 100% of owned and operated facilities with renewable energy by 2025; and
• establish a science-based climate target by 2022.
The product goals are:
• source 100% sustainable raw materials, including forest-derived materials and animal-derived materials by 2023, cotton by 2025 and synthetics by 2030; and
• use 100% preferred chemistry by 2023.
Kontoor’s Inclusion & Diversity strategy outlines specific goals related to people; and the company has promised to work only with factories that support a worker well-being or community development initiative by 2025.
Roian Atwood, senior director of sustainable business, said: “Kontoor Brands is focused on driving meaningful improvements across the apparel production process, which can only be achieved through collaborations for greater transparency. We have an opportunity to address some of our industry’s most pressing global issues and are committed to being a good corporate citizen as we operate in the world.”
Kontoor has also published its first sustainability report, summarizing the group’s impacts during 2019.
