GREENSBORO, N.C. — August 27, 2020 — Wrangler®, a global icon in jeanswear and casual apparel, today announced plans to expand the scope of its water conservation efforts with a new global sustainability goal: a 50 percent reduction in water usage by 2030. The updated goal targets the fiber production, fabric construction, and product finishing phases of the denim supply chain, which encompass more than 95 percent of the total water used throughout the production of a pair of jeans.
In April, Wrangler announced it had surpassed its original 2020 goal by saving over seven billion liters of water in the product finishing phase of its denim products since 2008 — equivalent to the daily drinking water needs of almost four billion people.
“We’re learning from our past successes in water conservation and expanding the scope of our efforts to be more inclusive of some of the biggest water impacts in our supply chain,” said Tom Waldron, EVP, global brand president, Wrangler. “Our new water goal is ambitious, and necessary. New technologies and practices will empower Wrangler to make progress and advance the industry forward in water conservation measures.”
To realize the new goal, Wrangler is collaborating with the Transformers Foundation to complete a comprehensive water balance study, which will analyze the denim industry’s water consumption by production phase. This study will address the inconsistency of water usage data in the denim supply chain globally and aims to provide reliable industry average benchmarks that will be offered publicly and usable by all members of the industry. Wrangler will use the water intensity baseline generated from the study to calculate the water savings made from new technological innovations in the pursuit of the new water goal.
“A renewed sustainability target creates an organizational focus that enables Wrangler to create meaningful change through the conservation of water resources. Because water is a shared resource, its conservation is also a shared responsibility,” said Roian Atwood, senior director, Global Sustainable Business, Wrangler. “Working with the Transformers Foundation will help accelerate sustainability collaboration in our industry.”
In addition to its work in the finishing phase, Wrangler will align the new goal with two other existing projects critical in the denim production process: Indigood™ Foam Dyeing and water efficiency measures in cotton production. In 2019, Wrangler became the first brand to offer denim dyed with foam, which uses 100-percent less water than conventionally-dyed denim. Prior to that in 2017, the brand launched the Wrangler Science and Conservation Program, an alliance of agriculture industry experts, pioneering farmers and nonprofit partners, which aims to help build a more resilient and regenerative cotton supply.
Posted August 27, 2020
Source: Wrangler®
