USA -- Cotton Incorporated, the research and marketing company for U.S. cotton, went live with two sustainability-oriented Web sites: Cotton Today (CottonToday.cottoninc.com), a resource chronicling the continuing environmental advances and research of the cotton industry, and the COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN., an online vehicle for the company’s celebrated denim recycling program.

“We are delighted to unveil these sites that demonstrate the cotton industry’s commitment to sustainability at the trade and consumer levels,” says J. Berrye Worsham, President and CEO, Cotton Incorporated.

Cotton Today updates what had been the sustainability section of the company’s corporate site, Cottoninc.com, with a colorful, engaging and user-friendly exploration of ways in which technology and innovation are making the production and manufacturing of cotton more environmentally friendly.

“Our objective in redesigning this resource center and giving it a direct url, is to provide easy access to the most recent, third-party validated data on the industry’s progress in sustainability,” explains Mr. Worsham.

The Cotton Today site is segmented into icon-driven, environmental topic areas such as soil, water, land, energy and habitat. Each section includes colorful graphics, media clips and citations for information sources. The redesign includes a homepage with footage of a cotton field in the breeze as a background. The homepage content can be hidden to appreciate the “view.” Another highlight is the direct dialogue option, “Ask the Sustainability Desk,” through which visitors can submit questions directly to Cotton Incorporated scientists, who will then post replies. Dynamic photos and video clips are also available throughout the site, providing visually engaging insights into the world of cotton.

The COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN. denim drive is a successful consumer program through which used denim is collected, converted into sustainable UltraTouch Natural Cotton Fiber Insulation, then donated to communities in need in the Gulf Coast Region. The dedicated web site, which serves as an integral vehicle for program information, underwent a complete redesign and domain name change, handled by The Rock Group in Pittsburgh, and is now accessible here.

The revamped Web site now includes more user-friendly features like a running tally of jeans and also shows a representation of how many houses have been built with the insulation to date.

Site visitors can also learn how to get involved in the denim drive, the process of recycling denim into natural cotton fiber insulation, and how the material assists communities in need. www.CottonFromBlueToGreen.org also contains information about denim drop-off locations, retail partners, and insulation contributions to several Habitat for Humanity affiliates.

“Achieving greater sustainability across the entire supply chain is something our industry takes very seriously,” says Mr. Worsham, adding “COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN. and Cotton Today articulate that commitment in innovative and exciting ways.”

Cotton Incorporated, funded by U.S. growers of upland cotton and importers of cotton and cotton textile products, is the research and marketing company representing upland cotton. The Program is designed and operated to improve the demand for and profitability of cotton.
 
Cotton Incorporated