An ethical denim update following the return of some of your favourite styles! We’ve been working hard to improve the sustainability of our denim pieces and our new range is created using responsible BCI Cotton. Find out more!
We’ve just brought back some of our favourite denim styles after a lot of work behind the scenes to improve the sustainability of our denim range.

We’re increasing the pace of change in our responsible sourcing plans, by introducing more lines in both Organic and BCI cotton to a variety of new styles, which we know our customers will love.

On our mission to continue our development into a truly environmentally conscious brand, we are doing everything we can to create a positive impact on our customers, our employees, our supply chain and the environment. One of the ways we can make the greatest impact in some of the regions we buy from is with careful consideration of the type of cotton that we use, and how it is farmed and processed.

MODEL WEARING SARAH DENIM SKIRT BLACK, MODEL WEARING MERCER DENIM PINAFORE INDIGO, MODEL WEARING SARAH DENIM SKIRT INDIGO Sarah Scallop A-Line Denim Skirt - Black, Mercer Stretch Denim Pinafore Dress, Sarah Scallop A-Line Denim Skirt - Blue

Denim: The Environmental Issue

It's no secret that denim is one of the biggest polluters in the fashion industry, with three major ecological issues: the usage of water, energy and chemicals. These resources are heavily relied upon at the start of the process – cotton cultivation.

The World Wildlife Fund estimates that 20,000 litres of water are used to create just 1KG of cotton and that current production methods are unsustainable. Organic cotton and BCI Standard Cotton use less resources in production than traditionally farmed cotton.

Did you know that cotton grows on bushes in huge plantations, with the largest producers being China, India and the USA. It is India and Pakistan however, who are leading the way in conversion to Organic Cotton farming.

What Is Organic Cotton? Why Is It Better for the Environment?

Organic Cotton is grown in harmony with nature, using natural processes and resources such as crop rotation, green manure and composting. This results in healthy soil, healthy harvests and improved biodiversity. Healthy soil stores carbon, contributing to the drive towards slowing climate change.

The healthy soil acts like a sponge, soaking up water during flooding, and holding it for longer during times of drought. This approach also eliminates toxic, hazardous chemicals and pesticides from cotton production, and turns to natural methods of pest control, keeping rivers, lakes and drinking water cleaner.

Organic Cotton farmers grow other crops and rotate them to prevent particular nutrients from leaching out of the soil. Growing a variety of crops and rotating them keeps the soil healthy, but also gives the farmers a more stable, diverse source of income and food supply for their families.

It is estimated that only 3.3% of the worlds cotton is currently produced organically!

MODEL WEARING BLEECKER BLACK DUNGAREES, MODEL WEARING MACDOUGAL INDIGO BOILERSUIT Bleecker Stretch Denim Dungarees - Black, MacDougal Indigo Denim Long Sleeve Boilersuit

What Is BCI Cotton? How Does It Differ from Organic Cotton?

When we refer to BCI Cotton, we’re talking about the Better Cotton Initiative, which the world’s largest cotton sustainability programme and accounts for approximately 23% of the worlds cotton production. Its mission is to help cotton communities survive and thrive, whilst protecting and restoring the environment. They achieve this with a farmer-centric approach, training and helping producers to minimise the harmful impact of pesticides, reduce water consumption, care for the health of the soil, enhance biodiversity and responsible land use, and preserve fibre quality.

It means decent work, gender empowerment and less inequality, as well as better crop yields, working conditions and financial security for the community - and greater resilience to climate change.

MODEL WEARING MORK GREEN BOILERSUIT, MODEL WEARING MORK BLACK BOILERSUIT, MODEL WEARING MORK PINK BOILERSUIT Mork Denim Short Sleeve Boilersuit - Green, Mork Denim Short Sleeve Boilersuit - Black, Mork Denim Short Sleeve Boilersuit - Pink

Why Use Cotton at All?

Cotton is durable, hardwearing and above all, it is a natural fibre which means that it biodegrades much more quickly than synthetic fibres. The farming of cotton supports hundreds of thousands of families in what are usually very poor, rural areas of developing countries.

At Joanie we are well on the way to ensuring that all of our suppliers can provide us with responsibly sourced cotton. Our new ranges of denim, tees and sweatshirts are the first product categories that will be entirely Organic or BCI Cotton. How exciting is that?

Incorporating organic and BCI cotton is just one of the many ways in which Joanie is evolving into a truly responsible brand, with our customers at the heart of everything we do.

We know that you feel as passionately as we do about protecting our planet for future generations.

You can find all of our latest Denim styles, created in BCI Cotton, in our Denim Edit.