For us, better starts with the basics. So, we are incorporating certified organic cotton into more of our everyday essentials, like our Organic Basic program, the Noah and Star program. Organic cotton is free from pesticides, artificial fertilizers, and genetic modification, making it better for people and the planet. Our Organic Basic styles are produced by one of our most innovative manufacturers in a factory that is partially powered by on-site solar energy, using high-tech dyestuffs that require less water and energy.

FULL STORY

Many of our everyday JACK & JONES essentials are made using cotton, and we are even more serious about sourcing it from certified sources as part of our A BETTER WORLD promise.

For our Organic Basic Tee, Paolos Polo, Relaxed tee and the Noah product range, we use 100% third party certified organic cotton. The organic cotton for our basics is even sourced through our “direct-to-farm” initiative. In 2022 we also added the Star Basic Sweat program to our organic basics with direct-to-farm organic cotton. The Basher tee is made with 50% third party certified organic cotton and our Organic Basic Melange tee with 60% third party certified organic cotton.

We are stepping up our use of certified organic cotton across our brand because it is better for the hands that grow it and the land it is grown on. Want to know why?

● It is free from pesticides, artificial fertilizers and genetic modification, cutting out chemicals that could be harmful to our farmers

● Organic agriculture improves soil fertility, moisture and biodiversity over time

● Third party certifications ensure that working conditions are regulated

INCREASING OUR USE OF ORGANIC COTTON

As part of our focus on Better Materials, we have a goal to source 30% of our cotton from certified organic sources by 2025, with as much as possible fully traceable – meaning we can track it right back to the farm where it was grown.

However, only 1,4% of all cotton available on the market is organic, and tracing and verifying cotton’s organic credentials can be challenging.* So to support this goal, we are part of an exciting “direct-to-farm” initiative that will help us source more organic cotton while linking our manufacturers more directly to the farmers on the ground. You can read more about that project here.

*Textile Exchange Preferred Fibre & Material Report 2022

For now, we are supplementing our organic cotton usage with cotton sourced through Better Cotton (BC). This means it has been grown in compliance with BC’s seven principles, including minimizing the harmful impact of crop protection practices, caring for the health of the soil and the promotion of decent work. At the moment we work on on-boarding our suppliers to Traceable Better Cotton and will make Traceable Better Cotton to our minimum requirement. This way we will ensure transparency for all cotton sourced along the supply chain.

PARTNERING WITH FORWARD-THINKING MANUFACTURERS

We would not be driving the sustainability initiatives we are today without our team of Better Manufacturing partners.

Our long-time manufacturing partner GMS makes our Organic Basic and Star Basic Sweat program, the Basher tee, Paolos Polo and Relaxed tee. Its factory in Bangladesh is LEED® Platinum certified and has its own solar energy system. Check out our interview with GMS’ executive director Mustafa for more on this, and the other amazing social and environmental work they do.

For example, GMS is using lower impact ways to give our Organic Basics range their popping colors, with poly-reactive dyes and high-tech low-liquor ratio dyeing machines. Together with a low temperature soaping agent, this reduces the energy and water needed to make these styles.

They also use third party dyestuffs. Plus, any wastewater leftover makes its way through their Effluent Treatment Plant and is recycled for day-to-day uses like cleaning and gardening.

BETTER BASICS, BIGGER IMPACT

Basics are where we have the biggest potential to reduce our environmental impact, and we will not settle for anything less. We are using these product lines to make change at scale, even if it means talking about progress, not perfection. That is why we will keep cleaning up the styles that will proudly be on our shelves, and yours, for years to come.