UK retailer Marks & Spencer aims to increase the proportion of its Fairtrade, organic and recycled sources of cotton to 25 per cent by 2025. The company recently reached its goal of sourcing all of its cotton from non-conventional sources. Majority of the retailer’s cotton is now sourced through the Better Cotton Initiative, while the remainder is a combination of organic, Fairtrade and recycled cotton.

M&S moves comes at a time when there is a growing debate around cotton and, specifically, what constitutes sustainable cotton. M&S is switching away from the use of conventional cotton due to concerns about its environmental impact and, particularly, excess water use. M&S can take between 10,000 and 20,000 litre of water to produce 1kg cotton, depending on where the cotton is grown.