Russell Athletic

Aug 09, 2022

Russell Athletic is an American fashion retailer founded in 1902 in Alexander City, Alabama, by Benjamin Russell. The multinational clothing-retail company creates casualwear for men, women, and children.

Russell Athletic is part of the global company Fruit of the Loom that employs more than 28,000 people worldwide. Berkshire Hathaway owns Fruit of the Loom and its subsidiaries Russell Athletic and Spalding.

Russell Athletic believes in a more sustainable future for everyone. It aims to do the right thing ethically and environmentally by nurturing its people to care for the planet.

Russell Athletic is a fashion brand and clothing retailer based in Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States. It offers a collection of basics, activewear, underwear, loungewear, outerwear, and knitwear.

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Sustainability Rating: 4/10

Rating FAQ

Category: Clothing

For: Women, men, children

Type: Basics, activewear, underwear, loungewear, outerwear, knitwear

Style: Casual

Quality: Low

Price: $

Sizes: S-4XL, 4-22 (US), 6-24 (UK), 36-54 (EU), 6-24 (AU), plus size

Fabrics: Cotton, lyocell, modal, polyester, nylon, spandex, acrylic, neoprene

100% Organic: No

100% Vegan: No

Ethical & Fair: Yes

Recycling: Yes

Producing countries: Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, Dominican Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Madagascar, Mexico, Morocco, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, United States, Vietnam

Certifications: WRAP, BSCI, SMETA, Oeko-Tex, BCI

Sustainability Practices

Russell Athletic takes wide-ranging measures to lower the environmental impact of its operations and products. It reduces its consumption of water, energy, and other resources, avoids waste, and combats climate change.

It wants to be better and more efficient by looking at every aspect of its value chain to ensure the healthy functioning of our planet. It has made commitments across three key pillars: People-Centric, Planet-Conscious, and Product Authenticity.

Russell Athletic doesn't use organic materials but better cotton and recycled materials such as recycled polyester and regenerated nylon. It also uses semi-synthetic fibers or regenerated cellulosic fabrics such as lyocell and modal.

Russell Athletic still makes many products with polluting fabrics such as regular cotton or synthetic petroleum-based fibers such as polyester, nylon, acrylic, and more.

Russell Athletic publishes a list of all its manufacturers and processing facilities on its corporate website. It has committed to providing respectful and inclusive workplaces where everyone can thrive.

The 2021 Fashion Transparency Index gave Russell Athletic a score of only 34% based on how much the group discloses about its social and environmental policies, practices, and impacts.

Russell Athletic has a code of conduct that applies to all its suppliers and subcontractors based on the regulations set by the International Labor Organization (ILO).

Russell Athletic assesses compliance with its Code of Conduct by informal visits or third-party audits with or without notice. It works with international and local unions and NGOs to improve the working conditions in its factories.

Russell Athletic doesn't use animal-based materials to make its products. However, the company doesn't state that it's completely cruelty-free and vegan.

Sustainability Goals

Russell Athletic has committed to reducing its environmental impact across the entire supply chain. It also aims to source sustainably from transparent supply chains.

Russell Athletic plans to reduce its GHG emissions and has committed to a science-based target by 2030 based on a 2018 baseline. It will use 100% renewable electricity by 2030.

Russell Athletic aims for a 10% reduction in water intensity by 2030 based on a 2018 baseline.

Russell Athletic has committed to 100% Oeko-Tex certification for all global production made in its facilities by 2025. It will have 100% of its global supply chain mapped to raw materials by 2025.

Russell Athletic will increase sustainable sourcing with 100% sustainable cotton by 2025, 30% recycled polyester by 2030, and 30% recycled nylon by 2030.

The company will also advance the circular economy through textile fiber recycling, reduce packaging, and maintain zero waste in its facilities.

Russell Athletic plans to increase recycled content in packaging by 2025. It will use 100% recyclable paper packaging by 2022.

Buy Here

Discover Russell Athletic's sustainable collections at RussellAthletic.com.

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