Cone Denim Reaffirms Commitment to Responsible Sourcing

Greensboro, NC — Cone Denim, a global leader in denim authenticity and sustainable innovation for more than 130 years, reaffirms its commitment to responsible manufacturing and ethical sourcing throughout its global supply chain. At the core of its efforts is Cone’s ongoing partnership with Oritain, the scientific traceability experts. Cone led the industry last year as the first denim mill to offer Oritain’s technology, providing the highest level of end-to-end supply chain transparency using forensic science to verify the origin of cotton and confirm with confidence that no cotton fibers used in Cone Denim fabrics are sourced from regions with risk of forced labor. Cone is pleased to extend its partnership with Oritain across its global platform to further support our customers in light of the recently enacted Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.

 

“Cone Denim has worked aggressively over the past year to fully leverage our access to Oritain technology and increase transparency with our customers related to the origin of cotton used in our products,” said Steve Maggard, President Cone Denim. “Traceability and transparency are no longer industry buzzwords, but strong-held values fast becoming the gold standard. Through our partnership with Oritain, we can provide scientific verification of cotton origin as well as periodic audit results that prove our claims to be true and that are admissible in a court of law. Accountability is key in Cone’s commitment to respecting human rights. We have been taking necessary steps prior to the passing of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, and we will continue to lead the industry in these crucial efforts.”

 

The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which prevents any materials or goods that have been wholly or partially mined, produced, or manufactured in the Xinjiang region of the People Republic of China from entering the U.S., was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden last month. Amidst the passing of this important bill, customers can be assured with scientific confidence that Cone Denim products do not contain any cotton from prohibited regions. The brand is proud to have completed more than a year’s worth of extensive and conclusive audits using Oritain technology. Cone Denim began its partnership with Oritain in September 2020. Through this partnership, Cone has completed multiple audits showing that all samples analyzed across Cone operations in China and Mexico were compliant. Zero samples were identified as coming from a restricted risk area, which were randomly selected by an independent third-party collection agency. Oritain’s unique method combines forensic science and statistics to detect naturally occurring elements in the cotton itself, eliminating the need for additional foreign tracers such as spray or particles. Soil composition and other environmental factors give the cotton an inherent fingerprint specific to each location. Once these ‘Origin Fingerprints’ have been created, they cannot be tampered with, replicated, or destroyed unlike other traceability systems. Product can be tested at any point in the supply chain to verify origin claims. To date, Oritain has mapped over 90% of the world’s cotton.

 

Cone Denim is committed to maintaining a supply chain free of any form of forced labor and will continue to undergo quarterly audits to ensure ongoing transparency and traceability. To learn more about Cone Denim’s standard in traceability, visit conedenim.com/traceability or contact your Cone Denim representative.

 

About Cone Denim

A leading denim innovator for more than 130 years, Cone Denim delivers unparalleled expertise and advanced denim capabilities that service and inspire the global market. Cone promotes sustainable practices through its Sustainblue™ denim fabrics representing the highest standards in responsible manufacturing and Cone’s commitment to making a positive impact in its communities. From performance denims and superior S GENE® technology to vintage re-creations of Cone Deeptone Denim™ reaching back to the early 1900s, Cone offers unique collections of Performance, Stretch, Selvage, and Distilled Indigo™ denims crafted out of the Cone® 3D R&D incubator. Cone Denim operates as part of Elevate Textiles, Inc. with manufacturing capabilities in Mexico and China and a global network of sales, product and merchandising professionals based out of Greensboro, NC, New York, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong. To learn more visit us at conedenim.com, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook or elevatetextiles.com.

 

About Oritain

Oritain, founded in 2008 out of the University of Otago by Professor Russell Frew—a world-leading expert and advisor to the UN—uses forensic science to determine the origin of products. Oritain’s main goal is to be the world’s most trusted company at scientifically verifying the origin of products. Oritain has offices in New Zealand, UK, Australia, USA and Switzerland.