Sustainable denim manufacturer, Advance Denim, joins the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol

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Advance Denim, one of the top three denim manufacturers in China, has officially become a Trust Protocol member as it continues to advance more sustainable denim worldwide.

MEMPHIS, TENN – 15 March 2021 – The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol welcomes one of China’s top three denim manufacturers, Advance Denim, as a member of the system that provides mills and manufacturers the critical assurances they need to prove to their customers that they are an approved supply chain partner for brands and retailers who are sourcing more sustainably grown cotton.

Advance Denim’s membership marks a significant step in their ambitious sustainability program which employs advanced technology and innovation to minimize the manufacturer’s environmental impact. They want to make sure their brand and retailer customers have transparency throughout their supply chain, which is why Advance Denim has decided to source more sustainable fiber through the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol.

The Trust Protocol is a new initiative that provides fashion brands and retailers with the critical assurances they need to show the cotton fiber element of their supply chain is more responsibly grown. It works by providing member brands such as Gap Inc. and Next access to the Protocol Consumption Management Solution and to aggregate year-over-year data in six  sustainability areas: water use, greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, soil carbon, soil loss, and land use efficiency.

Mills and manufacturer members of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol play a key role in providing this more secure and transparent supply chain to brands and retailers. As a member, Advance Denim can now provide its customers with all-important confidence about the U.S. cotton in their sourcing mix. Advance Denim joins over 200 other mills and manufacturers as members of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol.

Dr. Gary Adams, President of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol said: “Advance Denim is committed to playing a leading role in sustainable solutions for the denim industry, and we are delighted to be supporting them in this ambition. Collaboration is key, as with each member that joins, we have greater resources to help provide tools and knowledge to not only help U.S. growers improve their sustainability practices but to also give more mills, manufacturers, brands and retailers the supply chain confidence they need.”

Advance Denim’s membership in the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol comes at a time when demand for denim is increasing amongst brands seeking to satisfy customers and their love for the versatile fabric. Recent Google Trends data reveals that online searches for new denim styles have increased exponentially over the last year across the world, with a 1300% increase in ‘denim masks’ and 110% increase in ‘denim cargo shorts.’

Ms. Amy Wang, Director of the Board, General Manager of Advance Denim said: “Advance Denim aims to make innovative denim with minimal impact on the environment; to make cleaner and greener denim for the next generation. Becoming a member of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol gives us access to more sustainably grown cotton and the all-important data to prove this to our customers. Working with the Trust Protocol will allow us to further our sustainability ambitions while providing an important competitive advantage in a marketplace increasingly focused on supply chain transparency backed up by data and evidence.”

The Trust Protocol is on the Textile Exchange’s list of 36 preferred fibres and materials that more than 170 participating brands and retailers can select from as part of Textile Exchange’s Material Change Index program. The Trust Protocol is also working to align with existing systems in the cotton industry and is part of the Forum of the Future Cotton 2040 and the CottonUp guide.

–     ENDS     –

About the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol

In a period of ever-greater supply chain scrutiny and a growing demand for transparency, the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol will set a standard for more sustainably grown cotton. It brings quantifiable and verifiable goals and measurement to the issue of responsibly grown cotton production and drives continuous improvement in key sustainability metrics.

The Trust Protocol underpins and verifies U.S. cotton’s progress through sophisticated data collection and independent third-party verification. Choosing Trust Protocol cotton will give brands and retailers the critical assurances they need that the cotton fiber element of their supply chain is more sustainably grown with lower environmental and social risk. Brands and retailers will gain access to U.S. cotton with sustainability credentials proven via Field to Market, measured via the Fieldprint Calculator and verified with Control Union Certifications.

The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol is overseen by a multi-stakeholder Board of Directors comprised of representatives from brands and retailers, civil society and independent sustainability experts as well as the cotton-growing industry, including growers, ginners, merchants, wholesalers and cooperatives, mills and cottonseed handlers.

About Advance Denim

Advance Denim has the distinction of being the oldest denim manufacturer in China and has dedicated its efforts since day one around the core beliefs of innovation, service, quality and people. They believe that these core beliefs are the foundation of their day to day focus of become a world leader in denim. To achieve long term success, theyalso continue to invest in tools and infrastructure that will enable them to consistently manufacture products tailored to the specific needs of their customers.

Advance Denim is currently focusing its considerable creative and technical expertise in an effort to produce its wide range of Indigo products in the most sustainable way possible. They have looked deeply into their own manufacturing practices and have made great strides in water consumption, energy consumption, chemical management and emissions.

At Advance Denim they feel that sustainablity is an industry wide collaboration that can only be approached in a collaborative way to have the greatest effect in the market. They look inward at their own processes and invest in technology that will create a cleaner production line. They also look outward and collaborate with like-minded suppliers that have similar sustainability goals.

Media Contact:

Isobel Knight // Isobel.knight@hkstrategies.com – 07834587675

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Deepika Mishra

Standards and Data Lead (consultant)

Deepika Mishra is the Standards and Data Lead for the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, acting as a consultant for the program. As an accomplished scientist and data analytics specialist, Deepika leads on analysis of the Trust Protocol’s environmental metrics. She collaborates extensively with agricultural research institutions, conservation groups, and food and trade organizations, playing a vital role in the establishment of sustainability and social standards within the industry.

Deepika earned her Ph.D. in plant and soil science from Texas Tech University, specializing in cotton breeding and genetics. With over a decade of experience, she has spearheaded diverse agricultural projects in both India and the United States, covering crops like cotton, cowpeas, castor, sesame, guar, guayule, tomato, and field pennycress (cover crop). Her contributions also include the development and release of multiple cowpea varieties in India during her M.S. studies in vegetable breeding and genetics.