JCPenney is excited to announce it is partnering with the Apparel Impact Institute (Aii) to improve supply chain sustainability performance related to energy, water, and chemicals in 2021 and beyond.
Aii is a strategic partner of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), an industry collaboration of leading brands and retailers. Its Clean by Design program helps SAC members like JCPenney, Target, Gap, and Levi Strauss provide strategic suppliers with subsidized environmental engineering support to improve energy efficiency and transition to more sustainable fuel sources, such as biomass and solar energy. Program 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 recognizing the serious environmental impacts of wet processing activities in Tier 2 production by joining our Clean by Design program,” 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 program in 2015 with select Chinese suppliers and is now collaborating with suppliers Daysun, Masood, Nishat, and Soorty to enroll four additional facilities in the program 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 program.
Enrollment 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.
