Sustainability & Traceability

As younger generations of consumers view the social and environmental credentials of the items they buy as core product attributes, retailers seek to give guarantees about the sustainability of their supply-chains and products. At Plexus, we are committed to producing cotton at our African operations which meets these demands.

Sustainability covers a great variety of factors in the cotton supply chain: from water conservation methods in the field through labour conditions in the mills to power efficiency in the retail outlets. Traceability is a vital component and a real cost in the sustainable textile supply chain. For the first time textile retailers must understand, audit and guarantee their supply-chains all the way back to the raw material. At Plexus we aim to provide this level of traceability to retail partners by working with Cotton Made in Africa and the Better Cotton Initiative.  We are also registered traders of FLO-Cert Fairtrade, IMO Fair for Life and Control Union Certified organic raw cotton.

We have long expressed a commitment to improving socio-economic conditions where we operate. Our partnerships with development initiatives have seen success with yield and income improvements for target farmer groups. Now, this commitment is the foundation of our sustainability strategy.

Our goal is to maximise crop yields to provide sustained profitability and cash flows. This is achieved through the ongoing education and income-improvement of small holder farmers. Working with partners such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, D.E.G. & G.I.Z., and benefitting from strategic relationships with commodity supply-chain managers in parallel industries, we continue to develop our operations to attract brands looking for established, independently audited, transparent and sustainable raw cotton producers.