Wrangler and Lee Owner Already Met 2025 Water Savings Goal
The Indigood Program, Kontoor Brands’ global initiative that initially focused on a foam-dyeing technology to reduce freshwater consumption in the dyeing process, is beating the company’s expectations.
The Wrangler and Lee parent company recently announced it surpassed its 2025 water savings goal to conserve more than 10 billion liters of freshwater since 2008, thanks in part to the program’s layered approach to water conservation.
More from Sourcing Journal
Better Cotton Documents India Progress, Sets Up Traceability Scheme
Shuffle Board: Kontoor EVP Retires, Happy Socks Names New CEO
Kontoor introduced foam-dyeing technology in 2019. The game-changing technology uses at least 90 percent less water than conventional indigo dyeing in 2019. Building on its success, the company expanded Indigood in 2021 to include other technologies and water-saving measures.
“It is no secret that our industry uses a lot of water. Globally we are seeing climate change put pressure on the earth’s diminishing freshwater resources, making it imperative that the entire industry act now,” said Scott Baxter, Kontoor Brands president, CEO and chair of the board.
A measurement element, designed to set a global standard for water-savings validation, was added to the initiative as well. Kontoor challenges textile mills to adopt freshwater saving technologies and pairs them with third-party experts and independent auditors to drive change and validate water savings. Mills that meet a 90 percent or higher freshwater savings over their prior water usage levels, using 2018-2019 usage as the baseline, achieve the “Indigood honor.”
The most recent mill to earn Indigood accolades is Cone Denim. It was awarded the performance status of Bronze or better from the Indigood Program.
“The fact that Kontoor reached our water savings goal two years early is a testament to our commitment to sustainability and to the effectiveness of the Indigood Program, which is providing an important industry standard,” said Scott Baxter, Kontoor Brands president, CEO and board chair. “I am proud of the work we are doing to save water and move towards a future where all jeans can be created using zero freshwater.”
In addition to expanding the Indigood program with partner mills, Kontoor has also deployed water-savings technologies at its owned manufacturing facilities, which produce more than 50 million units of apparel and accessories each year. The company reports that a third party verified that its Torreon plant in Mexico used zero fresh water in its laundry process, saving an estimated 250 million liters of water each year. In a city surrounded by desert, the Torreon facility is not only limiting its freshwater use, but also using wells on its property to provide fresh water to the municipal government.
Dhruv Agarwal, Kontoor Brands VP, sustainability, innovation and development, said the company is focused on “advancing positive impacts by using resources wisely, driving sustainable innovations, and preserving and protecting the planet for future generations.”
“Our approach is focused on a process of continuous improvement, and while we have met our water goal early, there is still much work to be done,” he added. “We will continue to raise the bar on the environmental performance of our operations and partner mills across the globe, with a focus on doing the right thing for the communities where we operate.”
