American Apparel Invests in Sustainable Cotton
American Apparel Inc. has joined the sustainable-cotton movement.
The Los Angeles manufacturer has joined forces with the nonprofit Cleaner Cotton Campaign to purchase 30,000 pounds of “cleaner cotton,” or cotton that uses farming methods that reduce the use of pesticides by up to 95 percent.
The campaign is part of the The Sustainable Cotton Project, which was launched in 1994 in California’s Central Valley to offer farmers profitable strategies for reducing chemical use in cotton cultivation.
The Cleaner Cotton Campaign has developed a working knowledge of biological techniques that can be effectively and economically applied in California’s farmland. By reducing chemical use on farms, Cleaner Cotton helps keep toxins out of the soil, air and water. The program also avoids the use of genetically modified seeds.
“We hope that American Apparel’s commitment will inspire other California companies to join our Cleaner Cotton Campaign,” said Marcia Gibbs, director at the Sustainable Cotton Project.
More than 2,000 acres of Cleaner Cotton were grown in 2007 and as a result, 7,000 pounds of chemicals were prevented from entering the environment, according to the California Environmental Protection Agency.
For more information, visit www.sustainablecotton.org. —Robert McAllister
