BCI launches new label to boost transparency in cotton products

The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) has introduced a new product label that helps retailers and brands give customers clearer information about the source and percentage of BCI Cotton used in their products. Announced on October 7 to mark World Cotton Day, this label allows companies to confirm that their products contain physical BCI Cotton, verified by a third-party certification and traceable back to its country of origin.

The use of this label is optional for certified BCI retail and brand members. However, it can only be applied to products that contain at least 30% physical BCI Cotton. The remaining 70% of the material must be made up of non-cotton fibers rather than other cotton types. “Physical BCI Cotton” refers to cotton that can be tracked through the organisation’s traceability system from where it was grown.

Alongside the label launch, the organisation has also returned to using its full name, the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), to make a clear distinction between the NGO itself and the cotton produced under its programme. The cotton grown through this programme will now be known as “BCI Cotton.”