Better Cotton Initiative (BCI)(17+)

Textile Sustainability.

For the following commodities in Member’s Mark home and textile products–like clothing, bedding and towels–we aspire to source 100% “more sustainable cotton,” 50% recycled polyester, and 100% manmade cellulosic fibers (MMCF) that are free of content derived from ancient or endangered forests or from endangered species’ habitats or other controversial sources, as defined by the nonprofit organization Canopy’s tools and reports by 2025.9

Textiles are materials essential to everyday life and we’re working to ensure that all Member’s Mark textile products meet sustainability standards for our members and the planet.

Cotton
“More sustainable cotton” is sourced from farms that are continuously improving the environmental and social performance of the fields where cotton is grown, including maximizing land use efficiency, improving soil health, carefully managing water and chemicals use, decreasing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions and promoting better working conditions. We will work with our suppliers to use cotton sources that align with our view of more sustainable cotton, like the Better Cotton™ Standard System, to measure progress with our goals. .

Sam’s Club is a proud member of Better Cotton because its mission aligns with our efforts to source more sustainable cotton. We source Better Cotton because the organization, through its implementing partners, trains cotton farmers to care for the environment and respect workers’ rights and wellbeing. Because Better Cotton is sourced via a mass balance system, it is not physically traceable to end products, however, Better Cotton Farmers benefit from the demand for Better Cotton. To learn more, please visit BetterCotton.org.

50% Recycled Polyester
As a global retailer, Sam’s Club aspires to help create a more circular economy, moving away from a take-make-dispose approach to one where resources are preserved in production, and the materials are ultimately recycled back into the economic stream. In support of this aspiration, Sam’s Club has set a goal to source 50% recycled polyester for Sam’s Club U.S. Member’s Mark private brand apparel and home textile products by 2025. By using more recycled materials, we aim to help limit waste, conserve resources, and reduce energy use in the production of our products.

100% Preferred MMCF
We’re working with suppliers to ensure the manmade cellulosic fibers ¬— including rayon/viscose, modal, lyocell, acetate and trademark versions sourced for Member’s Mark apparel and soft home textiles — are not derived from ancient and endangered forests or from endangered species habitats or other controversial sources (as indicated by “green shirt” ranking by the non-profit organization Canopy’s Hot Button Report) by 2025..

9For more information and definitions go to Canopy Tools and Resources.