J.C. Penney joins sustainable jeans effort
The J.C. Penney Co. Inc. is now a member of The Jeans Redesign.
Launched in 2019 by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) to address waste and pollution in the fashion industry by starting with jeans, The Jeans Redesign offers a set of guidelines to make products in accordance with the principles of a circular economy.
As part of this project, J.C. Penney is focusing design and manufacturing efforts on durability standards, eco-friendly packaging, increasing its organic and recycled fibers content, and eco-friendly wash programs.
[Read more: J.C. Penney promotes supply chain sustainability]
Joining 94 participants including major fashion brands, retailers, garment manufacturers, and fabric mills, J.C. Penney will obtain design and manufacturing insights that can be used create more sustainable jeans and fashion products. Previously, retailers have shared how they have sourced organic content, included recycled content in fabric, removed metal rivets, excluded toxic substances, and promoted safe processes in making jeans.
“With this initiative and part of our ongoing sustainability commitment, we are steadily building long-term sustainability into our products, processes, and practices to offer our customers the best products with less environmental impact and in the most ethical, safe, and sustainable ways available,” said Briana Seferian, senior designer, specialty women’s apparel and circularity lead for the Product Sustainability Working Group, J.C. Penney, said in a corporate blog post.
“The Jeans Redesign supports organizations to build the confidence to explore and learn about how to use circular economy principles to put products on the market. The Jeans Redesign demonstrates it is possible to create garments fit for a circular economy,” said Laura Balmond, Make Fashion Circular Lead at EMF.