BASF’s e3 Sustainable Cotton Has a (Sustainable) Story to Tell

What is E3 Sustainable Cotton?

The clothes we wear are often a reflection of our personality or mood, and now they can be an indication of our values, too. As awareness of “fast fashion” has increased, fashion lines, manufacturers, retailers, and shoppers have begun to rethink the way clothing is created and consumed to design a more sustainable and balanced future for fashion. BASF’s e3 sustainable cotton traceability program is the first to answer this call. BASF’s program supports the three pillars of sustainability: socially equitable, economically viable, and environmentally responsible sustainable practices. From who grew your cotton to where it was grown, every stage of the supply chain of e3 cotton is tracked.

How does this move sustainability forward?

BASF’s certification and verification process tracks specific environmental measures for each individual e3 grower. These include irrigation water use and water quality; pesticide management and usage; soil conservation and fertility management; greenhouse gas reduction; energy use and conservation; worker health and safety; identify preservation; and soil carbon. This cutting-edge technology offers clothing brands the ability to measure, rather than eyeball, the relative carbon footprint of a textile, and third-party verification ensures the authenticity of sustainably grown cotton.

What does the future look like?

BASF is working with different brands and textile mills to create demand for e3 sustainable cotton to help meet the 2025 Sustainable Cotton Challenge. With only 19 percent of the world’s cotton currently classified as sustainable, the Challenge’s goal is for more than 50 percent of the world’s cotton to be grown with more sustainable methods by 2025. With BASF’s innovative and original e3 sustainable cotton traceability program, we’re one step closer to realizing this goal. For more information, click here.