Cone Denim Joins U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol

Greensboro, NC – Cone Denim®, a global leader in denim authenticity and sustainable innovation, is proud to announce its membership with the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. Cone Denim joins as one of the first denim partners and a leading global provider of denim fabrics made from an ethically sourced and verifiable cotton supply.

Cone Denim’s participation in the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol furthers its commitment to sustainability and transparency with continued investment in a verifiable supply chain, including Cone’s recently announced partnership with Oritain whose global technology combines forensic science and statistics to detect naturally occurring elements in the cotton itself to verify growth origin.

“As a leader in the global denim supply chain we are more committed than ever to promoting greater transparency and offering assurance to our customers and brands that Cone Denim fabrics are made with the greatest of integrity starting with cotton that is sustainably grown with lower environmental impact and greater social responsibility,” said Cone Denim President Steve Maggard. “The values and accountability of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol align with and complement Cone Denim’s ongoing sustainability initiatives including our pledge to the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and commitment to source 80 percent verifiably sustainable cotton by 2025.”

Maggard continued, “Cone has used more than 261 million pounds of U.S. grown cotton over the last five years across our global manufacturing platform. The U.S. remains a key supply source for our cotton and the efforts and leadership of the Trust Protocol further increase the importance of cotton from this region in our journey as a responsible manufacturer and supply partner.”

As a Trust Protocol member, Cone Denim will be sourcing from participating growers and helping to drive continuous improvement among six key elements of sustainability including land use, soil carbon, water management, soil loss, greenhouse gas emissions and energy efficiency.

Mills and manufacturers who become members have access to the Trust Protocol credit system to validate consumption of cotton and associated credit. The Trust Protocol uses a combination of a unique credit accounting system and the Permanent Bale Identification (PBI) system that enables full transparency throughout the supply chain from cotton to finished product.

U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol President Dr. Gary Adams added, “One of our goals is to give brands and retailers greater confidence when including U.S. cotton in their sourcing mix. The Trust Protocol’s emphasis on measurement and independent verification can provide confidence and trust that a brand is using responsibly grown cotton and producing a product that consumers can believe in. We are delighted that Cone Denim has joined the Trust Protocol as that supports the much sought after supply chain transparency and helps us in our ambition of traceability.”