Advance Denim joins US Cotton Trust Protocol

Advance Denim, one of the top three
denim manufacturers in China, has officially become a Trust Protocol member as
it continues to advance more sustainable denim worldwide.

The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol
welcomes one of China’s top three denim manufacturers, Advance Denim, as a
member of the system that provides mills and manufacturers the critical
assurances they need to prove to their customers that they are an approved
supply chain partner for brands and retailers who are sourcing more sustainably
grown cotton.

Advance Denim’s membership marks a
significant step in their ambitious sustainability programme which employs
advanced technology and innovation to minimise the manufacturer’s environmental
impact. They want to make sure their brand and retailer customers have
transparency throughout their supply chain, which is why Advance Denim has
decided to source more sustainable fiber through the U.S. Cotton Trust
Protocol.

The Trust Protocol is a new
initiative that provides fashion brands and retailers with the critical
assurances they need to show the cotton fiber element of their supply chain is
more responsibly grown. It works by providing member brands such as Gap Inc.
and Next access to the Trust Protocol credit system to validate consumption of
cotton and associated credit; and to aggregate year-over-year data in six
sustainability areas: water use, greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, soil
carbon, soil loss, and land use efficiency.

Mills and manufacturer members of the
U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol play a key role in providing this more secure and
transparent supply chain to brands and retailers. As a member, Advance Denim
can now provide its customers with all-important confidence about the U.S.
cotton in their sourcing mix. Advance Denim joins over 200 other mills and
manufacturers as members of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol.

 Dr. Gary Adams, President of the U.S.
Cotton Trust Protocol said: “Advance Denim is committed to playing a leading
role in sustainable solutions for the denim industry, and we are delighted to
be supporting them in this ambition. Collaboration is key, as with each member
that joins, we have greater resources to help provide tools and knowledge to
not only help U.S. growers improve their sustainability practices but to also
give more mills, manufacturers, brands and retailers the supply chain
confidence they need.”

Advance Denim’s membership in the
U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol comes at a time when demand for denim is increasing
amongst brands seeking to satisfy customers and their love for the versatile
fabric. Recent Google Trends data reveals that online searches for new denim
styles have increased exponentially over the last year across the world, with a
1300 per cent increase in ‘denim masks’ and 110% increase in ‘denim cargo shorts.’

Amy Wang, Director of the Board,
General Manager of Advance Denim said: “Advance Denim aims to make innovative
denim with minimal impact on the environment; to make cleaner and greener denim
for the next generation. Becoming a member of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol
gives us access to more sustainably grown cotton and the all-important data to
prove this to our customers. Working with the Trust Protocol will allow us to
further our sustainability ambitions while providing an important competitive
advantage in a marketplace increasingly focused on supply chain transparency
backed up by data and evidence.”

The Trust Protocol is on the Textile
Exchange’s list of 36 preferred fibres and materials that more than 170
participating brands and retailers can select from as part of Textile
Exchange’s Material Change Index program. The Trust Protocol is also working to
align with existing systems in the cotton industry and is part of the Forum of
the Future Cotton 2040 and the CottonUp guide.