Alternative Apparel (asi/34850) is taking a big step toward sustainability. The clothing supplier, owned by HanesBrands (asi/59528), said it will no longer use virgin polyester in its garments. The changeover to 100% recycled polyester begins this year and is expected to be completed sometime in 2021, according to the brand.

“While some companies have opted for fast fashion with an increased number of product deliveries, we’ve consciously chosen to focus on high-quality, luxuriously soft apparel that will remain in your closet for years to come,” said Kevin Miles, senior marketing manager for Alternative Apparel. “Even more, we want our processes and materials used in manufacturing to have minimal impact on the environment.”

Our @AlternativeApp brand has started replacing all virgin polyester with 100% recycled fiber to produce its apparel!

Collectively, our brands' use of recycled polyester fibers keeps 60 million+ plastic bottles from landfills each year.

That's #HanesForGood! pic.twitter.com/FlEVXmEc2l

— Hanesbrands Inc. (@HanesBrands) February 5, 2020

Some style names will change as a result of the switchover to recycled polyesters. For instance, the popular 50/50 vintage jersey fabric used in Alternative’s top-selling Keeper tee will be known as eco-vintage jersey. Its eco-fleece will use 100% recycled polyester, rather than a mix of recycled and virgin polyester.

Eco jersey football T-shirt from Alternative Apparel

Sustainability has been an ongoing focus for Alternative Apparel. Last year, the brand kept the equivalent of 1.2 million water bottles from landfills by using recycled polyester in several styles and fabrics. Moving forward, that figure will increase significantly. “To put it simply, this is a huge change,” Miles said.

Also of note, Alternative Apparel won’t be raising prices to cover the cost of the conversion. “An increased number of consumers are cognizant of the need to protect the environment, and they want to do what they can,” Miles said. However, consumers are generally unwilling to pay more, so Alternative has committed to invest the extra money “to ensure we’re standing behind our planet,” Miles added.

Mile also noted that Alternative has no plans to rest on its laurels when it comes to sustainability: “We’ll continue to raise the bar and look for meaningful changes to reduce the impact on the environment.”

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