JYSK commits to more sustainable cotton

By the end of 2024, all cotton sourced for JYSK's textile products will be either recycled or produced in a more sustainable way.

At JYSK, we work on several fronts to reduce the negative impact on the environment. One of the things we focus on are the raw materials used for our products. 

Numerous of JYSK's products are made of cotton. Cotton is a natural material with many good qualities. Yet there are also challenges with cotton, as traditional farming requires large amounts of water and pesticide, which are harmful to the environment.

Fortunately, there are better and more sustainable ways to grow cotton.

"At JYSK, we are committed to sourcing 100 percent more sustainable cotton for all textile products by the end of 2024. By more sustainable, we mean that the cotton must be either organic, recycled or sourced through the organisation Better Cotton Initiative," says Rune Jungberg Pedersen, Communications & CSR Director. 

What is Better Cotton Initiative?

JYSK is a member of the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), which is the world’s largest initiative for more sustainable cotton. 

BCI supports cotton farmers to achieve a more sustainable production with higher yield. The initiative has trained more than two million cotton farmers in how to use less water and fewer pesticides. The training also includes social aspects, such as proper working conditions.

The cotton in JYSK's products originates from Pakistan, among other places. In Pakistan, in the 2018-19 cotton season, BCI's training of farmers has meant that the farmers have used an average of 15 percent less water in their productions than the average non-BCI farmer. At the same time, they received an average of 11 percent higher yields than comparable non-BCI farmers.

Changing the sector

The goal of BCI is to change the production of cotton on a global scale so that in the long term all cotton will be produced in a more sustainable way.

"By setting a sourcing target of more sustainable cotton, JYSK contributes to the change towards a better and responsible cotton production. This is something we are proud of,” says Rune. 

Traceability and control

BCI works with control and traceability according to a principle called mass-balance. It is a way to keep track of the total global volume of BCI-certified cotton (referred to as Better Cotton), even if the Better cotton is not physically traceable from field to end product.

Read more about mass-balance at BCI's homepage

All photos from BCI/Khaula Jamil.