C&A is the world’s first retailer to offer jeans that are completely Cradle to Cradle CertifiedTM at the Gold level. Designed in partnership with Fashion for Good, a global platform that aims to make all fashion good, the jeans were made with completely sustainable materials and were produced in compliance with the high Cradle to Cradle CertifiedTM Gold level.
C&A deliberately chose jeans – a very complex garment and iconic product. Since jeans are made of different components – and numerous production processes are required – suppliers and factories were selected thoroughly and materials were tested and certified. Some elements, such as the lining material or sewing thread, had to be completely redeveloped.
"Designing the most sustainable jeans was a challenge where teams worked diligently for more than a year,” said Jeffrey Hogue, C&A’s Global Chief Sustainability Officer. “It required a close partnership between C&A and Fashion for Good with various suppliers, the Cradle to Cradle assessors MBDC and Eco Intelligent Growth (EIG) led by William McDonough, and the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute. All material properties had to be carefully assessed and tested in line with the rigorous Cradle to Cradle Certified™ product standards.”
To promote the production of sustainable clothing, the world’s first ‘Guide on Developing Cradle to Cradle Certified Denim’, with lessons learned by C&A, will be published along with the jeans’ product launch on Fashion for Good’s website. This open source guide will make information on how to develop circular jeans freely available and help other organisations comply with the Cradle to Cradle CertifiedTM Product Program requirements.
"We are extremely pleased with the result,” said Hogue. “All of the components have been successfully optimized to make sure that only good materials are used. During the process, only renewable energy and high social standards were applied, leading to a product that is designed for its next life."
“The collaborative, forward-thinking approach taken by C&A in being the first retailer to create jeans that meet Cradle to Cradle Certified™ at the Gold level, one of the highest levels of Cradle to Cradle certification, represents another significant milestone in the shift towards truly sustainable fashion,” said Lewis Perkins, president of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute. “C&A’s decision to provide open access to the source guide for this product is an equally significant contribution to the future of sustainable fashion and the growth of the circular economy.”
Sustainable Collections for All C&A Customers
C&A aims to make sustainably produced fashion the new normal. Therefore, the retail price for the men’s and women’s jeans is only 29 euros. C&A’s Cradle to Cradle CertifiedTM collection is marketed under the #WearTheChange campaign, launched in the spring of 2018. The goal of the campaign is to bundle products with various attributes that make them more sustainable compared to conventionally produced garments, such as Bio Cotton and Cradle to Cradle CertifiedTM, making it more visible for the customer.