At Tommy Hilfiger, we take sustainability and the future of our planet seriously. We’d like to give you more information about why the product you just purchased (or are thinking of adding to your wardrobe) carries the sustainable product tag. You can easily identify a more sustainable TOMMY HILFIGER product by the green stripe on the hangtag when shopping in store.
Today, clothes are predominantly made with raw materials, and whether these are sourced from plants, animals or petrochemicals, they all come from our planet, that we all have a responsibility to care for. As an organization, we strive to take a holistic approach when it comes to sustainability and the elements we use – we think about the entire lifecycle and footprint, from raw materials to end-of-life.
At Tommy Hilfiger, we are conscious of how we make and sell our clothes. By 2025, we have committed to:
- Using 100% more sustainable cotton
- Phase out the use of virgin oil-based polyester for alternatives with lower environmental impact
- Sustainably source 100% of our leather, wool and man-made cellulosics
- Obtaining 40% of our nylon from recycled sources
And once we reach our 2025 target, we’re not stopping there. We are committed to this continuous journey, so we can drive change and make more sustainable products. Our 2030 ambition is that our synthetic materials will be from recycled sources and our natural materials will come from regenerative systems, meaning they contribute to systems that renew or replenish themselves.
On this page, we will share with you an overview of sustainable materials and processes that we use in our products.
WHAT MAKES A MORE SUSTAINABLE PRODUCT?
To lower a product’s environmental impact, it’s important to look at the entire life cycle of a product and consider everything from design and production processes to purchase and wear. We are leveraging industry tools and guidance to further quantify and mitigate environmental impact across our value chain. Some of our initial work includes:
- Driving our products’ progress towards our public targets on more sustainable and circular product creation
- Using clearly defined criteria to determine when to make a claim about a product
- Calculating our greenhouse gas footprint on an annual basis to understand the impact of our value chain and identify key improvement areas to achieve our Forward Fashion carbon emissions reduction targets
- Working with our production partners via the Sustainable Apparel Coalitions (SAC) Higg Facility Environmental Module (FEM) to measure and reduce facility-level supply chain impacts
HOW CAN YOU MAKE A MORE SUSTAINABLE PRODUCT CHOICE?
This is a big and complex question, and we want to help you understand how we define “more sustainable products.” Since each product and style is unique, we categorize sustainable materials (recycled cotton and innovative materials or the result of innovative processes) using three different composition thresholds. To ensure our product claims are credible and transparent, our hangtags will state one of the three threshold claims below:
- At least
0%We use 95% when a product and/or material uses a minimum of 95% more sustainable materials.
- At least
0%We use 50% when a product and/or material uses a minimum of 50% (but less than 95%) more sustainable materials.
- At least
0%We use 20% when a product and/or material uses a minimum of 20% (but less than 50%) more sustainable materials. We don’t make claims if less than 20% of the material is sustainable (see below).
*All thresholds are excluding trims (eg. zips & buttons)
Why make a claim about only 20% material?
We understand this may sound like a low number, however, we’d like to encourage evolving technologies to innovate further. Learn more below:
Innovative materials: These are classified as small-scale disruptive technologies, such as material made from textile waste. These innovative materials or processes are emerging and exciting, but they need support in the form of investment and initial trials. By allowing a 20% threshold, we encourage the uptake of new fibers, whilst also helping to develop, scale and grow their level of readiness for more mainstream adoption.
Recycled Cotton: Due to the nature of shredding fibers, some shortening of staple (fiber) length is unavoidable. Mechanically recycled cotton is a way of shredding down textiles to be reengineered into fibers again. This process can affect the overall quality and durability of the materials and therefore, the garment. This is why we use lower percentages to retain the products’ quality. Using mechanically recycled cotton may not be the perfect solution, but it’s a step in the right direction and Tommy Hilfiger wants to support this change to drive further progress in recycled fibers.
Tommy Hilfiger continued to significantly increase use of more sustainable materials, with over 67% of materials sustainably sourced globally in 2021.
Tommy Hilfiger requires that all sustainable materials have robust third-party certifications and documentation to support each claim. For innovative materials, we have thorough documentation to ensure all communications are accurate and valid.
WHEN IS A MATERIAL CONSIDERED MORE SUSTAINABLE?
Our materials strategy focuses on sourcing all materials — natural and synthetic based — with environmental and social considerations first. We use an annual global material mapping exercise to inform our strategy, track progress toward our goals and prioritize activities with the greatest impact. When designing our products, we prioritize the use of “more sustainable fibers” which have a lower environmental impact than conventional materials. PVH Corp., parent company of Tommy Hilfiger, uses Textile Exchange’s Preferred Fiber & Materials Matrix methodology, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition’s Material Sustainability Index data, Fashion for Good’s technical insight and third party verified data to inform our global framework.
To learn more about the sustainable materials and progress on adoption, you can read about them in our CR Report here.
WHEN IS AN INNOVATION CONSIDERED MORE SUSTAINABLE?
Today, we see a constant flow of new materials and processes emerging with exciting solutions. At Tommy Hilfiger, we strive to invest in innovative technologies to make our products more sustainable. These new technologies need to be supported as they develop and scale their solutions. That means we might not have enough material to make a whole collection yet, or we are still actively working to improve the development of certain fibers so they meet the quality standards we expect. However, these innovations are crucial to create a more sustainable fashion industry, so we like to highlight when we test, pilot and transition them for use to support their growth.
Key sustainable product innovation focus areas:
- Innovative materials upcycled from waste (e.g., Infinna™ and Circulose®)
- Alternatives to virgin fossil fuel-based materials like polyester (e.g., VEGEA and Desserto)
WHEN IS A PRODUCTION PROCESS CONSIDERED MORE SUSTAINABLE?
Like our sustainable materials, a sustainable production process takes environmental and social factors into account. Below are some examples of more sustainable processes we use:
- Water-based polyurethane (PU) combined with more sustainable backing
- Dyestuffs, pigments, and colorants that use less water, energy, or chemicals, with less environmental impact than conventional alternatives
- Leather that is derived from a Leather Working Group medal-rated tannery
GLOSSARY OF MORE SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS & PROCESSES
COTTON
Cotton is an extremely versatile fiber and material, and one of the most frequently used in our industry. In 2021, cotton accounted for 73% of all the raw materials used by TOMMY HILFIGER globally. Of the cotton used, 80% came from more sustainable sources. Tommy Hilfiger is committed to sourcing 100% of its cotton sustainably by 2025.
According to Textile Exchange, there are different categories of more sustainable cotton, which are defined by a range of agricultural practices and different environmental and/or socio-economic priorities. A more sustainable cotton typically creates positive environmental impact compared to conventional cotton.
The more sustainable cotton mentioned on our hangtags is one of the below types:
RECYCLED COTTON Read More
Made from pre- or post-consumer cotton waste (e.g., from production facilities or used textiles), recycled cotton is the most sustainable type of cotton. Using recycled fibers reduces the depletion of natural resources and amount of textile waste that ends up in landfills, and enables us to close the loop and avoid producing new cotton.
When we refer to recycled cotton in this context, we are specifically referring to cotton that has been mechanically recycled, known as shredding. Once shredded, cotton is spun back into new yarns to be re-used in materials.
When we shred cotton, we process the cotton material into a secondary raw material without significantly changing its chemical structure. Due to the nature of shredding fibers, some shortening of staple or fiber length is unavoidable. For all fibers including cotton, this can result in some technical limitations in the quality of the materials and textiles, however, there are exciting advancements happening in the innovation of mechanically recycled materials.
Pre-Consumer Recycled Materials
These are materials diverted from waste streams during the manufacturing process. For example, using leftover cutting scraps from manufacturing facilities when a garment is being made.
Post-Consumer Recycled Materials
These are materials generated by households or commercial and industrial facilities. When these products can no longer be used for their intended purpose and are recycled, they are then determined to be post-consumer.
Tommy Hilfiger requires recycled materials to have Global Recycled Standard (GRS) or Recycled Content Standard (RCS) certification.
ORGANIC COTTONRead More
Organic cotton is grown without chemical pesticides, chemical fertilizers or genetically modified seeds. These methods help support biodiversity, healthy ecosystems and improve soil quality, which in turn has a positive impact on the environment.
Organic cotton production systems aim to replenish and maintain soil fertility while expanding biologically diverse agriculture. This is done by prohibiting the use of synthetic, toxic, and persistent pesticides and fertilizers, as well as genetically engineered seed. The process of transitioning from conventional cotton to organic takes approximately three years, or until the land qualifies to be certified organic under national or international organic standards. Third-party certification organizations verify that organic producers meet strict national or regional regulations, addressing methods and materials allowed in organic production.
Tommy Hilfiger requires organic cotton to have Global Organic Content Standard (GOTS) or Organic Content Standard (OCS) certification.
TRANSITIONAL / IN CONVERSION COTTON Read More
This follows the farming practices described in organic cotton, but the farm is in the process of shifting from conventional to organic farming practices. This process of transition takes approximately three years, or until the land qualifies to be certified organic under national or international organic standards.
Less than one percent of the world’s cotton is grown organically. Demand for organic cotton has increased in recent years to the point that, without a plan to convert more conventional cotton to organic cotton, we may not be able to ensure a future supply for our products.
Converting to organic is a multi-year journey as farmland needs time to recover from synthetic fertilizers and pesticides used on the cotton plants and soil. When farmers make this change, the switch from conventional to organic farming can have severe impacts on cotton growing and yield and therefore the livelihood of the farmer. Most small-scale farmers cannot survive three years of lost earnings, and more than 50% of farmers quit the conversion to organic cotton in the first year, unless supported through increased prices for the cotton they do sell that reflect the lost income in making this transition.
To both secure future supplies of organic cotton and ensure farmers continue to transition to organic, along with financial support, we also need to send clear demand signals to the industry and farmers so they can make the switch to “in-conversion” or “transitional” cotton while feeling confident there will be a market for it.
Tommy Hilfiger requires organic cotton to have Global Organic Content Standard (GOTS) or Organic Content Standard (OCS) certification.
REGENERATIVE ORGANIC COTTON Read More
Regenerative organic cotton uses both the regenerative and organic farming practices. The cotton is not only grown to certified organic standards that use no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, but also has positive impacts on soil health and ecosystems, potentially using the soil and plants to absorb and store carbon. This means the plants and soil will store more carbon than they release.
Regenerative organic cotton is grown according to organic farming practices that take a holistic approach to landscape, aiming to restore soil health and ecosystems while helping to improve the livelihoods of farmers. Regenerative organic cotton farming and its use help create the shift from purely extracting resources to building replenished soil and agriculture, ultimately giving back to nature.
Tommy Hilfiger requires regenerative organic cotton materials to have Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) certification.
REGENERATIVE COTTON Read More
Regenerative cotton is grown according to farming practices that take a holistic approach to landscape, aiming to restore soil health and ecosystems, while helping to improve the livelihoods of farmers. Regenerative cotton farming and its use helps to shift away from purely extracting resources to building replenished soil and agriculture, ultimately giving back to nature.
“Regenerative agriculture” is a term that not only relates to cotton, but the farming practices that promote soil health and restore organic carbon in the soil. There is no “one size fits all” method as the practices can depend on regional context and location, climate, the crops being grown or soil types.
Some of the practices used in regenerative farming may include reducing tilling (no-till or low-till), use of cover crops in between harvest seasons to reduce soil erosion, complex crop rotation, rotating livestock with crops and avoiding and/or minimizing the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. These techniques allow for drawing in and storing organic carbon (sequestering carbon) that helps to regenerate soil health by preserving nutrients and rebuilding organic matter, while enhancing on-farm biodiversity and ecosystem services (water retention, soil erosion) for improved soil fertility, livelihoods and long-term resilience.
Tommy Hilfiger requires regenerative cotton materials to have RegenAgri or Good Earth Cotton certification.
