Sustainable cotton

From polo shirts to fleeces, and from T-shirts to Undercolors brand items, cotton is by far the most prevalent fiber in Benetton Group’s collections. That’s why the Company has made a public commitment to increase its sourcing of sustainable cotton to produce quality garments that have a reduced impact on the environment. In 2023, sustainable cotton accounted for 51% of our total cotton volume (in 2019 it represented 58% of total cotton).

Organic cotton

In 2023, organic cotton – that is, derived from non-genetically modified plants grown according to organic farming principles, without GMOs or chemical fertilisers and pesticides, and therefore with a lower environmental impact – accounted for 9% of the overall production of all cotton items.

Recycled cotton

Since 2019, Benetton Group has increased its use of recycled cotton, a sustainable fiber derived from pre-consumption (production surplus) and post-consumption (fabrics and end-of-life garments) textile scraps. These are collected and sorted by color, then cut into small parts, frayed and re-used for new production of pre-colored yarns.
A studied mix of virgin fibers and recycled raw material (at least 20%) from certified supply chains allows the Company to produce items characterised by quality and durability, with a lower environmental impact.

Better cotton

From 2017 Benetton Group is a proud member of Better Cotton the world’s largest programme dedicated to cotton sustainability. According to the prescriptions of the programme, the Group sources cotton processed and grown by farmers trained to minimise the use of fertilisers and pesticides, use water and soil sustainably, and comply with the principles of equity in labor relationships. In 2023, the percentage of Better Cotton amounted to 39% (calculated on the total annual cotton requirement).

Strategy regarding the use of sustainable cotton

Better Cotton’s mission is to help cotton communities survive and thrive, while protecting and restoring the environment. See bettercotton.org for details.

In 2019-2020, Better Cotton licensed over 2.4 million farmers from 23 countries on five continents.

Better Cotton is sourced via a system of Mass Balance and is not physically traceable to end products. For further details about the sourcing system for Better Cotton see bettercotton.org/massbalance.

Benetton is committed to sourcing 100% of its cotton as “more sustainable cotton” by 2025. “More sustainable cotton” includes cotton from Better Cotton, organic cotton and recycled cotton. In 2022, sustainable cotton accounted for 56% of our total cotton volume.

Lastly, Benetton Group prohibits the use of cotton coming from Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and the region of Xinjiang, China, areas where penal or child labor have been reported.

Denim

Since 2012, Benetton Group’s collections have not carried denim items treated with sand-blasting. Moreover, we developed a laser-treated “denim colour” for men’s and women’s denim items.