The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol said the first Latin America-based textile mills have joined the organization formed in 2019 to set new standards for more sustainably grown cotton.
The 28 companies include 12 from Mexico, four each from El Salvador and Peru, three each from Guatemala and Colombia, and one each from Honduras and Ecuador. They are Central America Spinning Works El Salvador, Cone Mills, Colhilados, Fabricato, Gama Textil, Global Textiles, Grupo Industrial Miro, Grupo Vivatex, Hilanderia de Algodon Peruano, Honduras Spinning Mills, Industrias Cannon de Colombia, Industrias Merlet, Industria Textil del Pacifico, Junior de Mexico (OGGI Jeans), Manufacturas Kaltex, MT Textiles, OA, Playeras Mark, Premium Knits, Quality Knits, Ropa Siete Leguas, SJ Jersey Ecuatoriano, Tavex, Textufil, Textiles Marie Lou, Textil del Valle, WT Sourcing and Zagis.
“We are pleased that these companies have joined the Trust Protocol as the textile industry works to improve the transparency in their supply chain that brands and retailers are asking for,” Dr. Gary Adams, president of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, said. “The Trust Protocol is providing verified, reliable data about cotton growers’ responsible growing practices in six key areas–water use, greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, soil carbon, soil loss and land use efficiency–and shows how sustainability is constantly improving through the entire supply chain.”
Mills and manufacturers that become members have access to the Trust Protocol credit system to validate consumption of cotton and associated credits. The combination of a specialized credit accounting system and the Permanent Bale Identification (PBI) system enables brands to gain transparency throughout the supply chain to finished product.
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Last month, the Trust Protocol also announced the membership of Gap Inc. as part of its integrated sustainability strategy and to help achieve the company’s commitment to use only 100 percent sustainably sourced cotton by 2025. December also saw the announcement of the first 10 U.S. mills to join the Trust Protocol: Buhler Quality Yarns, Cap Yarns, CCW, Contempora Fabrics, Cotswold Industries Inc., Frontier Yarns, Hamrick Mills, Inman Mills, Parkdale Inc. and Swisstex Direct.
The Trust Protocol has been invited to join Cotton 2040 and its CottonUp guide, and is also on the Textile Exchange’s list of 36 preferred fibers and materials from which more than 170 participating brands and retailers can select as part of its Material Change Index program.
The Trust Protocol helps bring quantifiable and verifiable goals and measurement to responsibly grown cotton production and drives continuous improvement in key sustainability metrics. It also underpins and verifies U.S. cotton’s progress through sophisticated data collection and independent third-party verification.
Brands and retailers will gain access to U.S. cotton with sustainability credentials proven via Field to Market, measured via the Fieldprint Calculator and verified with Control Union Certifications. The Trust Protocol is overseen by a multi-stakeholder board of directors comprised of representatives from brands and retailers, civil society and independent sustainability experts, as well as the cotton-growing industry.