Materials

We define a more sustainable material as one that has less impact on the environment and society than its conventional counterpart. For each material type, impacts such as biodiversity loss, deforestation, water use, greenhouse gas emissions, and pollution are weighed against one another to determine whether and how a material qualifies as more sustainable.

Within this framework, we distinguish between two levels. A transition material reduces some impact but still relies on production methods that create environmental pressure. A lower impact material goes further. It is one we actively recommend — produced in ways that reduce negative impacts. We evaluate materials using industry tools such as the Textile Exchange Preferred Fiber & Materials Index, and we require that 100% of the materials we source more sustainably are substantiated by third-party standards.

Organic Cotton

Cotton is one of the most widely used materials in the world and at C&A. All farming practices can have negative impacts on the environment and people. In order to minimise the impact, we have made a commitment to source 100% of our cotton from preferred sources.

Organic cotton is grown using agricultural processes that can help build soil health and improve biodiversity as it prohibits the use of synthetic pesticides, fertilisers, and genetically modified seeds. Cotton, which is certified as organic, has been checked by independent third parties to ensure that the material conforms to these standards.

From the farm groups to the garment maker, our organic cotton supply chain is certified to third-party standards such as e.g. the OCS (Organic Content Standard) and never blended with conventional cotton. The certification processes usually include annual audits of each stage in the supply chain of all parties involved in the manufacturing of the certified textiles by the certification bodies. This is done through comprehensive on-site inspections, verifying that all standard requirements are met. Each step along the chain of custody must include a “scope certificate” (SC) and a “transaction certificate” (TC). A scope certificate lists the post-harvest products / product categories which can be offered as certified and labelled in accordance with that standard and the corresponding production stages. The transaction certificate lists the actual certified products and shipment details.

Better Cotton

Better Cotton is a standard that helps cotton farmers adopt more environmentally sustainable, socially responsible, and economically viable farming practices while improving transparency in the cotton supply chain.

Sourcing Better Cotton can be considered one relevant puzzle piece to mitigate impacts caused by cotton farming in different regions across the globe.

Read more about Better Cotton

To earn a Better Cotton license, farmers must demonstrate that they adhere to six principles:

• Minimising their use of harmful pesticides 

• Using water efficiently 

• Caring for the health of the soil 

• Conserving natural habitats and biodiversity 

• Preserving and caring for the health of the fibre 

• Promoting decent work 

The standard can be applied to farms of all sizes and complements other standards for more sustainable cotton.

 Physical Better Cotton

In 2023 Better Cotton launched a new, Chain of Custody model with enhanced traceability compared to the previous system, which is called Physical BCI. This model enables us to trace Better Cotton back to its country of origin using the Better Cotton Platform (BCP). C&A has committed to sourcing Better Cotton exclusively through the Physical Chain of Custody.

Recycled Materials

Using recycled materials can contribute to reduced use of virgin textile materials and, in some cases, lower resource use during production, such as water and chemicals. We use recycled materials in different shares and amounts, depending on use case and material type. The use of recycled materials is a key ambition in our sustainability strategy, aimed at making use of existing materials and supporting a more efficient use of scarce resources. To ensure traceability of the recycled materials we purchase, all products containing recycled material are certified to either the RCS (Recycled Claim Standard) or GRS (Global Recycled Standard).

Find out more about the standards we use here

Our recycled materials are:

Polyester

Recycling PET waste into recycled polyester can reduce the need for virgin fossil‑based raw materials and may, depending on the recycling process used, result in lower energy use compared to conventional virgin polyester production.

Polyamide

Recycled polyamide, commonly known as nylon, has gained awareness in the fashion industry. Derived partially from post-consumer waste such as discarded fishing nets, carpet fibres, and industrial plastic, recycled polyamide is used as a versatile and durable material alongside virgin polyamide.

Cotton

Recycled cotton is a resource that supports the use of existing cotton fibres and contributes to diverting textile waste from disposal. There are two main types of recycled cotton: post-consumer and pre-consumer waste. Post-consumer cotton waste refers to discarded cotton garments or textiles that have been used by consumers. This waste is collected, sorted, and processed to create new recycled cotton fibers. Pre-consumer cotton waste includes spinning waste and fabrics scraps during the manufacturing process.

By utilizing both types of cotton waste, the lifecycle of cotton fibres can be extended and the reliance on virgin cotton can be reduced. This approach can contribute to reducing impacts associated with textile waste disposal and may, depending on sourcing and processing methods, result in lower resource use in certain stages compared to conventional virgin cotton production.

Regenerated Cellulosic Fibres

Viscose

Viscose, rayon, TENCEL™ Lyocell and TENCEL™ Modal are all types of man-made cellulosic fibres (MMCF), also known as regenerated cellulosic fibres. These materials derived from natural cellulose sources, mainly wood pulp. C&A actively supports the use of cellulosic fibres like LENZING™ ECOVERO™ Viscose and Livaeco by Birla Cellulose™. LENZING™ ECOVERO™ Viscose is produced from certified renewable wood sources and manufactured according to defined environmental standards, including production processes designed to reduce emissions and water use compared to conventional viscose.

Livaeco by Birla Cellulose™, on the other hand, is made from certified wood pulp and produced using a closed-loop production system in which chemicals are recovered and reused according to defined process standards.

For all our regenerated cellulose, we follow the SRCCS (Sustainable Regenerated Cellulosics Content Standard).

Lyocell

TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers are derived from wood sourced from certified and controlled sources following the stringent guidelines of the Lenzing Wood and Pulp Policy. TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers are known for their closed loop production process, which transforms wood pulp into cellulosic fibers using a closed loop solvent-spinning process with high solvent recovery rates of more than 99%.

CIRCULOSE®

CIRCULOSE® is not yarn or fabric, it is a material made by recovering cellulose from worn-out clothes and production scraps. At the final stage of its production process, it is a cellulosic pulp made from 100% recycled textile waste, used for the creation of regenerated fibers such as viscose, lyocell, modal, acetate and other types of regenerated fibres (also called man-made cellulosic fibres). CIRCULOSE® is produced in Sweden using a textile recycling process.

As part of the manufacturing process, CIRCULOSE® takes in discarded textiles like clothes that can no longer be resold or used, or production waste, shreds, de-buttons, de-zips, and de-colors them and turns into a slurry. Contaminants like polyester are filtered out. Cotton fabrics are preferred because they contain a lot of cellulose. The slurry is then dried into sheets of pure CIRCULOSE®, which are packed into bales and shipped to fiber producers, where the raw pulp is spun out to fibers. The newly spun fibers are turned into yarns, fabrics, and ultimately into clothes. CIRCULOSE® can be blended with other materials at each manufacturing stage.

By transforming discarded textiles into new raw material, CIRCULOSE® is designed to support textile-to-textile recycling. CIRCULOSE® aims to reduce reliance on virgin raw materials by using existing textile fibres as input material. CIRCULOSE® is used in circular material flows by enabling the use of recycled textile feedstock in regenerated fibres.

Linen

Linen is the textile material generated out of flax plants. The Masters of FLAX FIBRE™ label certifies the origin of the flax fibre. The flax fibres holding this certification stem from Western Europe (France, Belgium or the Netherlands). Masters of FLAX FIBRE™ farmers are committed to farming practices without irrigation and without the use of genetically modified seeds.

Animal Derived Fibres

C&A is committed to protecting animal welfare throughout the supply chain. When sourcing animal derived materials, we expect our suppliers to abide by the rules stipulated in our Animal Welfare Policy. Amongst others:

•  Abide by the internationally accepted Five Freedoms for animal welfare

• Only use raw materials that come from animals used for meat production

• Never accept materials from exotic, threatened or endangered species 

We recognize that animal welfare is not the only impact of animal-based fiber production. For several animal-based fibers, including wool and cashmere, we apply industry standards such as the Textile Exchange's Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), and the Sustainable Fibre Alliance’s Cashmere Standard. These standards focus on improving environmental resilience and increasing regenerative agriculture through rangeland stewardship and best practices in land management at the herder level.

Our Online Polybags

Increasingly, C&A is using online polybags made up of recycled content; roughly 53% of online polybags are sourced from the same supplier and made up of recycled content.

This kind of online polybag is made with at least 95% post-consumer recycled LDPE (low-density polyethylene). The material comes from used plastic products that have been collected, processed, recycled and the resulting raw material is reused to make a new polybag – supporting the use of recycled materials within circular material flows.

• Material: LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene)

• Recycled Content: ≥ 95% post-consumer

• Thickness: 30 microns

• Certification of the manufacturing facilities: EN 15343

Why are these online polybags not 100%?

The manufacturing facility of this online polybag is EN 15343 certified, ensuring a transparent and traceable supply chain for recycled materials.

While the polybag itself is made entirely from post-consumer recycled LDPE, the adhesive strip contains a small amount of non-recycled material. The adhesive strip is covered by a plastic release liner, which is made from virgin material and currently not available in a recycled version. According to the European standard EN 15343, which also ensures traceability of recycled plastics, the adhesive strip is considered part of the overall product. Therefore, the recycled content is officially stated as at least 95%.

Please consider reusing or recycling the polybag where facilities exist.