Wrangler® Sets Ambitious New Goal to Halve Its Water Usage by 2030

Expanded scope of water responsibility extends across supply chain 

GREENSBORO, N.C.-- Wrangler®, a global icon in jeanswear and casual apparel, today announced plans to expand the scope of its water conservation efforts with a new global sustainability goal: a 50 percent reduction in water usage by 2030. The updated goal targets the fiber production, fabric construction, and product finishing phases of the denim supply chain, which encompass more than 95 percent of the total water used throughout the production of a pair of jeans.

In April, Wrangler announced it had surpassed its original 2020 goal by saving over seven billion liters of water in the product finishing phase of its denim products since 2008 – equivalent to the daily drinking water needs of almost four billion people.

“We’re learning from our past successes in water conservation and expanding the scope of our efforts to be more inclusive of some of the biggest water impacts in our supply chain,” said Tom Waldron, EVP, Global Brand President, Wrangler. “Our new water goal is ambitious, and necessary. New technologies and practices will empower Wrangler to make progress and advance the industry forward in water conservation measures.”

To realize the new goal, Wrangler is collaborating with the Transformers Foundation to complete a comprehensive water balance study, which will analyze the denim industry’s water consumption by production phase. This study will address the inconsistency of water usage data in the denim supply chain globally and aims to provide reliable industry average benchmarks that will be offered publicly and usable by all members of the industry. Wrangler will use the water intensity baseline generated from the study to calculate the water savings made from new technological innovations in the pursuit of the new water goal.

“A renewed sustainability target creates an organizational focus that enables Wrangler to create meaningful change through the conservation of water resources. Because water is a shared resource, its conservation is also a shared responsibility,” said Roian Atwood, Senior Director, Global Sustainable Business, Wrangler. “Working with the Transformers Foundation will help accelerate sustainability collaboration in our industry.”

In addition to its work in the finishing phase, Wrangler will align the new goal with two other existing projects critical in the denim production process: Indigood™ Foam Dyeing and water efficiency measures in cotton production. In 2019, Wrangler became the first brand to offer denim dyed with foam, which uses 100 percent less water than conventionally-dyed denim. Prior to that in 2017, the brand launched the Wrangler Science and Conservation Program, an alliance of agriculture industry experts, pioneering farmers and nonprofit partners, which aims to help build a more resilient and regenerative cotton supply.

To learn more about Wrangler sustainability initiatives, visit https://www.wrangler.com/sustainability.

About Wrangler®

Wrangler, a Kontoor Brands (NYSE: KTB) brand, has been an icon in authentic American style around the world for more than 70 years. With a rich legacy rooted in the American west, Wrangler commits to offering unmatched quality and timeless design. Its collections for men, women and children look and feel great, inspiring those who wear them to be strong and ready for life, every day. Wrangler is available in retail stores worldwide, including brand flagship stores in Denver and Dallas, department stores, mass-market retailers, specialty shops, western outfitters, and online. For more information, visit Wrangler.com.

About Transformers Foundation

Transformers Foundation is the unified voice representing the Denim Industry’s change.

In spite of its size, the Denim Supply Chain has never been represented by an organization to defend its importance and value in front of business stakeholders, be it Brands or NGOs. Denim’s voice has not been represented in the media. Who else but the Supply Chain is most qualified to express Innovative and Technically Advanced production process? Based on the continuous feedback from Kingpin’s Exhibitors about this lack of representation and the interest in having continuous coordination, information and education throughout the complete supply chain, the Transformers Foundation was formed as a non-profit organization. Transformers Foundation aims to be the central point for the Denim Industry, working at different levels (educational, collaboration with other organizations to cover all social, eco-tox and technical topics, and also generate new interest from the market on a really high added value type of Fashion). Visit, http://kingpinstransformers.com/