Our fashion
We pass on our fashion
This first central pillar of our sustainability framework encompasses our goals for materials, circular initiatives, and packaging. Our fashion is what it’s all about for us every day. At the heart of our business is the clothing we produce for our current customers and all future generations. Every garment starts with a base material such as cotton, polyester, viscose, or their more environmentally friendly alternatives. Ideally, this garment is designed and processed according to the principles of the circular economy, using as little plastic and other packaging as possible.
Alternative materials: that’s what we’re aiming for
The choice of materials for our clothing largely determines their impact on the environment and on people. The origin of these materials therefore holds potential for sustainability. To make more sustainable material choices, the fashion sector is moving toward materials with a lower environmental impact than conventional ones. Additionally, the sector is striving for a closed-loop system that reuses materials.
Across the entire group, we are committed to materials that have a lower impact from the very start of their lifecycle. Our commitment: by 2030, 100% of our most commonly used materials will be replaced by a more sustainable alternative with a lower social and environmental impact. To this end, in 2023 we established a roadmap of material choices for each brand, running through 2030.
Materials Roadmap: 2030 Goal
- For cotton: Starting in 2030, we will no longer use conventional cotton. We are gradually transitioning to more organically grown cotton, cotton in conversion (to support the transition to organic cotton), Better Cotton Initiative (BCI)-certified cotton, and recycled cotton.
Tipping point: by 2025, more than half of our cotton will be a more sustainable alternative. - For polyester: we are exploring the best options to replace conventional polyester without compromising our quality standards. Recycled polyester, derived from pre-consumer and post-consumer waste, is a potential alternative. With this, we aim to gradually phase out fossil-based polyester.
Tipping point: by 2028, more than half of our polyester will be recycled. - For man-made cellulosic materials (MMCF) such as viscose, lyocell, and modal: we are gradually moving away from conventional MMCF and shifting toward MMCF with a lower environmental impact. This means that MMCF comes from sustainably managed forests. Their production process captures the necessary components (such as water) and reuses them to produce viscose, modal, and lyocell. Have you heard of Tencel Lyocell™, Tencel Modal™, and EcoVero™? You can already find them in part of our range.
Tipping point: by 2026, more than half of our MMFC will be a more sustainable alternative.
Certifications
The alternative materials listed in the roadmap are certified through independently audited certifications. In accordance with the Empowering Consumers Directive, we have deliberately chosen certifications that have been verified by third parties. In a sea of potential labels and certifications, we selected the ones listed below because they are fully aligned with anti-greenwashing legislation. This is not only the right approach, but also essential to continue disclosing, so that you, as a consumer, can trust our transparency and integrity.
Want to know which certifications we use? Read all about it in our 2025 sustainability report.
Our commitment to circular initiatives
At CRG, we aim to move away, step by step, from a purely linear fashion sector and its impact. We are constantly striving to better identify the costs to people and the environment and incorporate them into our business model. Our ambition? To further grow existing circular initiatives and to test and bring new circular initiatives to market. We do this in line with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s definition of circular fashion. We focus not only on the difference that design can make, but also on how we can better inform our customers about the proper care of their clothing. In this way, we help extend the lifespan of their clothing.
According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, an international authority on the circular economy, circular fashion is based on garments that meet three key criteria:
- Used more: using materials and products for as long as possible in their highest-quality form. Reuse is the message, so #PassItOn.
- Specifically designed to be remade (‘made to be made again’): products are manufactured in a way that enables reuse, remanufacturing, or recycling.
- Made from safe and recycled or renewable materials (‘made from safe and recycled or renewable inputs’): products harmful to people and the environment are phased out. The use of new raw materials is minimized and, where necessary, sourced from renewable sources.
Want to know more?
Would you like to learn more about our sustainability strategy? Read all about it in our 2025 sustainability report, or visit the websites of our brands CKS, JBC, and Mayerline.