Macy's Expanding Use of Sustainably Sourced Cotton

Macy’s has joined the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol as part of its effort to sustainably source cotton used in its private brand products.

In recent years, the department store has taken steps towards embedding sustainability throughout its business through its social purpose platform Mission Every One. In 2022, Macy’s, Inc. released its private brand cotton policy, pledging to source 100% preferred materials in its private brands products managed by the retailer’s sourcing team by 2030. 

This commitment now includes sourcing U.S. Cotton and Protocol Cotton, which is grown and harvested on Trust Protocol growers’ farms and recorded in the Protocol Consumption Management Solution – which tracks cotton through the supply chain, ensuring transparency and accountability.

RELATED: Macy’s Says Sales of New On 34th Private Label Apparel Strong

“Through our social purpose platform, Mission Every One, our business is aligned with a framework that aims to create a more equitable and sustainable future for our people, communities and planet," said Keelin Evans, vice president of Sustainability, Macy’s, Inc. “This work has fueled our commitments and we are embedding sustainability across our global value chain, focused on caring for people and managing our environmental impact.” 

Evans said Macy’s expects more than half of cotton products within its private brand products managed by the Macy’s sourcing team will be sustainably sourced by the end of 2023. 

“Our Trust Protocol membership will support and accelerate these efforts to meet our 2030 ambitions by helping us to better trace our supply chain and demonstrate the progress we’re making toward meeting our environmental targets,” she said.

The Trust Protocol is a sustainable cotton program that combines quantifiable, verifiable goals and measurement with driving continuous improvement in six key sustainability metrics – land use, soil carbon, water management, soil loss, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy efficiency. The Trust Protocol integrates these sustainability metrics from Field to Market’s Fieldprint Platform, enabling enrolled growers to measure the environmental impacts of their operation and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

“We’re pleased to be working with Macy’s, Inc. – an iconic American brand – to help them better understand the supply chain of their private brand products,” said Dr. Gary Adams, president of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. “Our blockchain-enabled value chain transparency will deliver Macy’s, Inc. the assurance it needs to evidence its responsible sourcing practices and demonstrate progress towards environmental targets.”