JCPenney, AII working on supply chain sustainability

SAC is an industry collaboration of leading brands and retailers. Its Clean by Design programme helps SAC members like JCPenney, Target, Gap, and Levi Strauss provide strategic suppliers with subsidised environmental engineering support to improve energy efficiency and transition to more sustainable fuel sources, such as biomass and solar energy. Programme costs are shared between AII, the company, and the supplier, highlighting the collaboration and collective investment needed to create a positive impact and move the apparel and textile industry forward.

“We are pleased to see JCPenney take this leadership position by recognising the serious environmental impacts of wet processing activities in Tier 2 production by joining our Clean by Design programme,” said Lewis Perkins, president, Apparel Impact Institute. “As the world seeks to build back with better solutions, JCPenney is ‘leaning in’ to this opportunity to improve existing facilities in the ways that will have the most positive impact for both sustainability and production cost.”

JCPenney began participating in the Clean by Design programme in 2015 with select Chinese suppliers and is now collaborating with suppliers Daysun, Masood, Nishat, and Soorty to enrol four additional facilities in the programme in Pakistan and Vietnam. The selected mill and laundry facilities are strategic production partners for JCPenney Private Brands located in high water stress communities and have demonstrated a commitment to improving their sustainability performance. These types of Tier 2 facilities often represent the largest emissions hotspots, making them prime candidates for AII’s Clean by Design programme.

“Enrolment in AII’s Clean by Design programming will continue on a yearly basis and we are proud to continue making meaningful progress on our sustainability journey,” the company said.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SV)