World-premiere: C&A launches the world’s first Gold level Cradle to Cradle Certified™ T-shirts

C&A is pleased to announce the launch of the world’s first Gold level Cradle to Cradle Certified™* T-shirts. C&A will offer two styles for women, in up to 17 different colours, representing C&A’s first “circular collection”. C&A is the first fashion retailer in the world to offer products with this level of certification. They are designed to be recycled or reused, so with their next life in mind: they are made of 100% organic cotton, with only safe materials and produced in a socially and environmentally responsible way. Using renewable energy and reusing water for the production process is not only better for the planet but also for the workers and their communities.

The T-shirts are not only stylish casual wardrobe essentials, but they also represent a crucial milestone in the move towards a more sustainable future.

The Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Products Program is a way to assess products and materials for safety to human and environmental health and sustainable manufacturing, including the use of renewable energy and carbon management, water stewardship, and social fairness. The result is certification at Basic, Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum levels.

“*We are very proud to introduce our first Gold level Cradle to Cradle Certified™ T-shirts. Taking inspiration from nature, these shirts were designed with their next life in mind.* *This means they can be reused recycled – or you can literally throw your shirts onto the compost pile.* *We believe in fashion with a positive impact and are excited to provide our customers with stylish products and render sustainable fashion available at great value”* says You Nguyen, Director of Brands Womenswear Collections at C&A.

The launch of the Cradle to Cradle Certified^TM apparel is a crucial step within C&A’s overall sustainability strategy and is a logical next move for the world’s leading retailer in organic cotton to achieving more sustainability in its products. This collection proves that it is possible to create apparel with its next life in mind and sell it at a competitive price.

The styles were developed in close partnership with Fashion for Good. Created with funds granted by founding partner C&A Foundation and with its first hub in Amsterdam, Fashion for Good is a global partnership that unites apparel producers, retailers, non-profit organizations, innovators and funders in the shared ambition to transform our industry into a circular one.

C&A’s Cradle to Cradle Certified^TMcollection will be available across 18 European countries in-store and online from 1^st June 2017.

Please find further information at www.c-a.com/c2c

*Cradle to Cradle Certified^TM is a certification mark licensed by the Cradle to Cradle Product Innovation Institute

About C&A

With nearly 2,000 stores in 21 countries worldwide and around 60,000 employees, C&A is a leading fashion retail business. C&A welcomes and provides millions of visitors each day with good quality fashion at affordable prices for their entire family. C&A is an enterprise of COFRA Holding AG with a presence in Europe, Brazil, Mexico and China. C&A is committed to leading an industry shift from the “take, make, waste” linear model to a circular one that allows us to keep resources in use for as long as possible. In cooperation with Fashion for Good, C&A developed the world’s first Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Gold garments. We are committed to supporting Fashion for Good in their efforts to scale technologies, processes and business models that have the potential to transform the industry. For more information, see www.canda.com