Wrangler Joins The Sustainability Consortium

Iconic apparel brand prioritizes supplier engagement through new membership.

FAYETTEVILLE, AR, December 18, 2015 – The Sustainability Consortium (TSC) announced today that one of the world’s largest denim brands, Wrangler, has joined the organization in an effort to strengthen supply-chain sustainability for the brand and the apparel industry at large.

“We are delighted to welcome a powerhouse brand like Wrangler to The Sustainability Consortium. Wrangler will bring tremendous influence, expertise and leadership to the goal of creating sustainable apparel.” said Sheila Bonini, TSC CEO. “The Wrangler team is already engaged in the work of our Clothing, Footwear and Textiles group. Their commitment is a great endorsement of the impact that TSC is having in the sector and beyond.”

The Sustainability Consortium is an independent global non-profit organization working at the intersection of science and business to create transparent tools, methodologies and strategies for product and supply networks that address environmental, social and economic imperatives. TSC collaborates with more than 100 members from civil society, NGOs and corporations, such as Unilever, Campbell’s, P&G and Walmart.

“TSC has a proven approach for identifying the sustainability impacts most relevant to an industry sector like Clothing, Footwear and Textiles (CFT),” said Roian Atwood, director of sustainability for Wrangler. “From there, the Consortium’s key performance metrics (KPI) are an effective way of developing core competencies in the relevant tiers of the supply chain.”

Wrangler is one of a large family of brands (including The North Face, Timberland and Smartwool) that benefits from the sustainability commitment of parent company VF Corporation. It’s a commitment built upon a robust Global Compliance Program for suppliers, as well as leadership in industry groups like Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) and the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI). This will be the first industry membership distinct to the Wrangler brand.

“Wrangler is an iconic brand with deep roots in American culture and a unique platform for bringing responsibly produced apparel to consumers across multiple retail channels,” said Phil Mcadams, Wrangler Brand President. “Wrangler owns the majority of its manufacturing and continually invests in environmental and social improvements. Joining TSC helps us encourage our suppliers to do the same.”

 About The Sustainability Consortium

The Sustainability Consortium® (TSC®) is a global nonprofit organization working at the intersection of science and business to transform the consumer goods industry to deliver more sustainable products. TSC creates credible, scalable tools, strategies and services that are based in science, informed by stakeholders and focused on impact across the entire lifecycle of consumer products, including environmental, social and economic imperatives. The Sustainability Consortium is comprised of more than 100 members, including manufacturers, retailers, NGOs, civil society and corporations that work collaboratively on innovation for a new generation of products and supply networks. The Sustainability Consortium is jointly administered by Arizona State University and the University of Arkansas, with additional operations at Wageningen UR in the Netherlands and Nanjing University in China.