About 4 1⁄2 recycled plastic water bottles are used in every pair of jeans, saving more than 2 million plastic bottles from the landfill.
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Jeans genies

Kirkland Signature women’s jeans showcase Costco apparel buyers’ emphasis on sustainability

by ANDREA TOMKINS

As a Costco member, I have long appreciated the variety, value and quality of Costco’s clothing. So, it didn’t surprise me to learn there’s a lot happening behind the scenes, long before our favorite garments land on the tables and in our shopping carts. Here’s a “behind the seams” look.

Planning ahead

Costco’s apparel buying teams work far in advance, 12 to 18 months, before a particular clothing item arrives at the warehouses. They follow these items from the planning and idea stage up until they hit Costco warehouses and Costco.com, and even beyond. They collaborate and follow trends, assess and analyze market research, plan and purchase, all while working with suppliers and quality assurance teams to ensure members get the highest-quality items at the best possible price.

Focus on sustainability

In addition to all this, a focus on sustainability has been a growing part of the buying teams’ portfolio.

“While it’s not something that’s really new to us, it’s something our members are asking for. Many of our suppliers are looking for ways to be more sustainable as well,” says Carolyn Friedman, assistant general merchandise manager at Costco.

“We’re looking for every single way that we can effect that sustainability, right down the line,” she adds.

Kirkland Signature women’s jeans

When I asked the buying team to pick an example of where their sustainability efforts really shine, they pointed to Costco’s new Kirkland Signature™ women’s jeans, coming to warehouses this fall.

Here, sustainability starts with eco-friendly fabrics. Kirkland Signature jeans are made from 41% Tencel lyocell and 15% Repreve fiber.

Tencel lyocell is a textile made from renewable wood pulp spun into cellulose fibers and is considered one of the most environmentally friendly fibers in the world.

Repreve is a certified recycled high-quality fiber made from 100% recycled materials, including post-consumer plastic bottles. In fact, an average of four and a half 500-milliliter recycled plastic water bottles are in each pair of Kirkland Signature women’s jeans. Doing the math, this means 510,072 pairs of women’s jeans save more than 2 million plastic bottles from the landfill; 885,318 pairs save almost 4 million bottles!

Manufacturing Kirkland Signature women’s jeans also uses less water overall. By using water-soluble textile dyes and a special finishing process, water consumption, chemical output and waste are considerably reduced. What’s more, manufacturing facilities have in-house water treatment plants that recycle and reuse water.

Of course, at the end of the day, quality remains a top priority. Sustainably produced jeans are a great idea, but they need to be well made and comfortable.

“When we’re looking for items, we’re looking for the best quality, the best value to market and the most sustainable, but it’s always quality first,” says Julie Ackerman, a buyer for women’s apparel at Costco.

Ongoing efforts

Making products better and being able to offer them at a great value has always been Costco’s goal. Sustainability goals are no exception.

One example is a plastic insert used to hold bundled socks together. It was a heartfelt letter from a 13-year-old that pushed Costco to work with its supplier and exchange the insert for cardboard, an environmentally friendly alternative. The cardboard was eventually removed altogether, saving 3.8 million units of inserts from the process.

“We are always asking ourselves those questions: How can we improve? We listen to what the members are saying. We’re talking to the suppliers. We keep pushing and finding those suppliers who are producing something more sustainable,” Friedman says. “It’s about bringing the best of the best to our members.”

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Andrea Tomkins fills this month’s consumer reporter slot with this behind-the-scenes look at a Costco program. Email questions about this article to connection@costco.com