The Challenge

The mission of Cotton Incorporated is to ensure that cotton remains the first choice among consumers in apparel and home products through research and promotion.

The Cotton Industry is committed to responsibly produced cotton and cotton products processed with safe or sustainable chemicals in clean supply chains.

Cotton Incorporated hired Cattermole Consulting to provide a research report outlining the implications of Green Chemistry demands in the textile industry faced by brands and suppliers.

The Approach

Cattermole Consulting conducted primary qualitative research by interviewing textile experts from brands, chemical companies and manufacturers to glean their insights on;

• The pressure points driving the need to restrict hazardous chemicals in products and supply chains
• The methods used to assess and prioritize chemicals of concern
• The cost of restricting hazardous chemicals and finding safer alternatives
• The issues brands and suppliers face as they attempt to eliminate restricted chemicals from the supply chain.

Secondary research was conducted to provide an overview of; regulations affecting the industry, NGO campaigns targeted at the industry, and tools currently used to help brands and suppliers eliminate hazardous chemicals.

The Results

Cotton Incorporated is using the report to inform and educate their customers and help shape their sustainability messaging through conferences and other stakeholder engagement initiatives.

About Cotton Inc.

Cotton Incorporated is a NGO funded by cotton growers in the United States through per-bale assessments on producers and importers levied by the Cotton Board, which reports to the United States Department of Agriculture.

Its mission is to increase the demand for, and profitability of cotton through research and promotion, and to ensure that cotton remains the first choice among consumers in apparel and home products.”