For the last few weeks, HanesBrands has been dropping episodes of a new mini-documentary that features three North Carolina State University students following the same journey one of its T-shirts makes: from the farm field to the factory to the front of a college bookstore.

Crop to Campus, created by award-winning filmmaker Rod Murphy of Asheville, NC, focuses on the experiences of Mamie Trigg of Austin, Katy Powers of Charlotte and Sydney Parker – all of whom have since graduated from NC State’s Wilson College of Textiles. Last year, Murphy followed the then-students to cotton fields and yarn spinning facilities in the southeastern United States to a Hanes-owned fabric knitting, cutting and sewing facility in El Salvador and finally back to campus in Raleigh. Hanes has been releasing one episode a week of the documentary since Sept. 8. The last episode will be posted on Oct. 20.

Three North Carolina State University students explore zero-waste in a visit to one of the world’s leading manufacturers of spun yarns, Parkdale Mills, in episode 3 of “Crop to Campus.”

Learn how we create sustainable apparel at: https://t.co/thZUDqEBfP pic.twitter.com/HigVAZwq1E

— Hanesbrands Inc. (@HanesBrands) September 22, 2020

Michael Johnson, director of marketing for Hanes Activewear, explains why the company commissioned the short film and how sustainability and social responsibility continues to play a role in the apparel brand’s everyday efforts.

Q: Why was it important to Hanes to make this documentary? How did the idea for it come about?
Michael Johnson: While HanesBrands has prioritized CSR and sustainability for decades now, we wanted to know how our commitment to sustainability measures up with millennials. Originally, the idea was to open our doors and let the students share their experiences on social media. However, we quickly realized from their energy and engagement that we wanted to capture their experiences in a bigger way. That’s when we called [Murphy].

Q: Tell us a little more about the journey the students went on in the film.
MJ: We frame the experience around the making of a ComfortWash garment dyed T-shirt, knowing that garment-dyed tees and fleece are go-to styles at retail and on college campuses. 

The first stop for the students is Grant Farms in Garysburg, NC, opened by David Grant, a fifth-generation farmer in eastern North Carolina. U.S. cotton used in ComfortWash apparel is grown in the rain-rich states of the Southeast, which provides enough natural water that irrigation is not needed. Cotton grown in this area is the most sustainably grown in the world.  

From the cotton fields of North Carolina, they travel to state-of-the-art yarn facilities in Virginia and cut, sew and dye operations in El Salvador, and then back to Raleigh. Over the course of the journey they talk about water conservation, limited pesticide usage, science and politics. In El Salvador, the students openly dialogued with employees, learning their jobs and asking challenging questions about responsible sourcing, living wages and working conditions. 

Q: How were the students chosen for participation in the documentary?
MJ: Fittingly, we spread the word via word of mouth and social media. We wanted to talk to students at NC State as the University’s Wilson College of Textiles is one of the preeminent textile programs in the country, going back more than 100 years. We hosted a discussion group and asked those interested in the project to reach out. From there we looked for the toughest questioners – and couldn’t have asked for three more curious and driven students. 

This episode of Crop to Campus was released Oct. 6. The next will be available here on Oct. 13.

Q: What’s the biggest takeaway you’re hoping young people – and all consumers – will get from Crop to Campus?
MJ: I hope that others learn along with Katy, Mamie and Sydney, each of whom went into the experience with her own definition of sustainability. Responsible manufacturing and sustainability have many layers. As a company, for example, we talk about People, Planet and Product – the next big step forward for sustainability is a general understanding that it encompasses all of these.

Also, that we all have something to learn and to teach. The exchange between the students and farmer is fascinating. While they speak different “languages,” both groups have similar visions about sustainability. To have this shared experience, where the students can learn how much progress has been made in yields and pesticide and fossil fuel use, and to see how little waste is produced, it breaks down the language barrier. You can feel the mutual respect growing.  

Q: Why is corporate social responsibility and transparency important to Hanes?
MJ: First and foremost, it’s the right thing to do. But what many companies don’t understand is that it’s also great for the bottom line. When we have zero waste in a facility, it means we have not wasted any materials and have nothing to dispose. Having our own water treatment plant reduces costs and benefits the local water quality. A biomass facility saves money and reduces the impact on the earth.

We invest in our people and communities everywhere we do business. In El Salvador, for example, the students sat with employees learning English and studying for their high school diplomas. They met with a moms-to-be group receiving added support and education. They accompanied employees volunteering in an after-school program designed to engage and support at-risk youth. These programs, along with a living wage, help us retain great employees who are proud of their jobs and their company.

Q: What sustainability trends do you see gaining traction in the future?
MJ: The most important word around sustainability is transparency. It’s no longer enough to “make” claims without showing the work. True transparency is vital. Everyone talks a green game, but people don’t know which brands are truly committed and which ones aren’t. 

Also, sustainability is becoming both wider and deeper, and this comes back to our focus on Planet, People, Product: It’s everything and everyone you touch.