Hanes Printwear Launches US-Grown Cotton Initiative

Hanes printwear launches a U.S.-grown cotton initiative to raise awareness among printers and promotional product distributors (PPDs) of its importance to sustainability, apparel quality, and jobs. As part of the launch, the group announces its Beefy-T is being manufactured from 100% U.S.-grown cotton.

“Sustainability and responsible sourcing are important considerations for customers today,” says Michael Johnson, director of marketing for Hanes activewear. “We want printers and PPDs to know they can trust what they are buying from Hanes, and we want them to be able to talk confidently about sustainability with their customers.”

During the last four decades, U.S. farmers have utilized technology and other advancements to make strides in growing sustainable cotton crops. According to the National Cotton Council of America, this includes:

• Reducing the amount of land needed to produce cotton yields by almost 50%
• Diminishing soil erosion by 35%
• Decreasing water use by more than 50%
• Cutting energy use by more than 50%
• Lowering greenhouse gas emissions by 40%

Additionally, U.S. cotton production is regulated as a food crop because cottonseed is used in both human food products (cottonseed oil) and animal feed. And jobs in the country’s cotton industry are subject to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements.

“It’s a matter of visibility and trust to us,” adds Chris Fox, chief sustainability officer for HanesBrands. “For decades, the U.S. cotton industry has supported our sustainability objectives, which is why we use U.S.-grown cotton for most of the apparel we sell in our printwear channel.”

Because the apparel company owns most of its manufacturing operations, it has oversight over raw materials and processes to manufacture its apparel, from sourcing and spinning to sewing.

As part of its campaign, Hanes printwear host a virtual summit on U.S.-grown cotton on March 11. More details to come. Additionally, Hanes developed a digital toolkit to help printers and PPDs inform customers about the benefits of U.S.-grown cotton.