Better Cotton Initiative moves to boost BCI product branding

What’s the story?

• Better Cotton Initiative is introducing a label allowing brands to communicate the use of certified, traceable BCI Cotton.
• The optional label can only be used on textiles containing at least 30% Physical BCI Cotton, with no other cotton sources in the remaining 70%.
• The organization, which had been known as Better Cotton, is also making a distinction about its identity by renaming itself the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) and its cotton as BCI Cotton.

Geneva – A new label will begin arriving in stores over the coming months under a just-launched strategy to call out sustainable textiles.

The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) has launched a product label which allows retailer and brand members to provide consumers with greater clarity about the origin and percentage of BCI Cotton in their products.

The new label, announced Oct. 7 in conjunction with World Cotton Day, will enable retailers and brands back up claims that their products contain physical BCI Cotton, certified by a third-party body, that has been traced from its country of origin.

Use of the label is optional for certified BCI retail and brand members. However, it can only be used on products which contain a minimum percentage of 30% Physical BCI Cotton. The remaining 70% cannot contain any other source of cotton, only other materials. Physical BCI Cotton refers to cotton that has been traced back to its country of origin using the NGO’s traceability solution.

To align with the label’s launch, Better Cotton has now rebranded to the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI). The change makes a clearer distinction between the organization and its commodity, both formerly known as ‘Better Cotton’. The cotton sourced through the Better Cotton Initiative is now called BCI Cotton.

“In a time of increasing scrutiny around sustainability claims, global trade pressures, and shifting Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) priorities, transparency and accountability are more critical than ever,” said Nick Weatherill, CEO at the Better Cotton Initiative.

The new label and brand come as the Better Cotton Initiative publishes its 2024/2025 Annual Report, highlighting the impact of its program over more than 15 years in driving environmental, social, and economic improvements in cotton farming.