Textile guideline
The impacts of textile industry to the environment and people
The textile sector has a significant environmental impact, resulting from its complex global value chain that involves resource extraction, production, distribution, and end-of-life. In its value chain, the textile sector uses large amounts of resources of land, water, and energy. The textile industry also faces various challenges related to human rights, such as unfair wages, inadequate labour conditions and rights, and gender inequality.
Cotton commitment
Kesko is committed to sourcing 100% of its cotton as certified organic cotton, recycled cotton, BCI Cotton or Fairtrade cotton by the end of 2027. The target applies to Kesko’s own clothing and home textile brands, which are K-Citymarket’s mywear, Pirkka and Remu clothes and myhome home textiles, and K-Rauta’s PROF workwear and Cello interior textiles.
The following certification schemes and initiatives are approved by Kesko for verifying cotton in accordance with the commitment:
- Better Cotton Initiative (BCI™)
- Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
- Organic Content Standard (OCS)
- OEKO-TEX® ORGANIC COTTON
- Global Recycled Standard (GRS), Recycled Claim Standard (RCS)
- Fairtrade
The textile policy was published on 2 January 2026. The textile policy replaces the former cotton policy, published in 2020.
Progress of the objectives of the cotton guideline in 2024
In 2024, 97% of the cotton sourced for our own clothing and home textile brands was certified organic cotton, recycled cotton, BCI Cotton (mass balance) or Fairtrade cotton.
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
|
In 2024, 97.0% of the cotton sourced for our own clothing and home textile brands was certified organic cotton, recycled cotton, Better Cotton or Fairtrade cotton. |
97.0 | 95.7 | 92.2 | 14.6 | 4.8 |
Natural fibers
Cotton
Cotton is the most widely produced natural fiber in the world. The environmental impacts of cotton production include its high requirement of water and land. In addition, reckless use of pesticides could harm the environment or endanger workers’ health. Human rights risks encountered in the production chain include the use of child labour and forced labour, overlong working hours, low pay and a lack of gender equality.
Better Cotton Initiative (BCI™)
Kesko is a member of Better Cotton Initiative (BCI™). Kesko is committed to contribute to the improvement of cotton farming practices globally through our membership in the BCI™.
Currently, Kesko sources BCI Cotton under the Mass Balance Chain of Custody. This means that BCI Cotton is not physically traceable to end products. Even though BCI Cotton is mixed with conventional cotton in its journey, its total content in the supply chain remains the same.
BCI™ has launched a new chain of custody model, physical BCI Cotton, that enables physical traceability of cotton at the country level. As a result, Kesko will also gradually transition to sourcing traceable cotton, starting in 2026.
Animal-based fibers and materials
Wool
In accordance with Kesko’s animal welfare policy, we do not accept merino wool products whose primary production uses the mulesing method and angora products that include fur plucked from live rabbits into our selections. In our products, we prefer wool certified under the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS).
Down
In accordance with Kesko’s animal welfare policy, we do not accept items that contain feathers plucked from live birds into our selections.
All down used in Intersport International Corporation’s Energetics, Firefly, McKinley, Pro Touch and Tecnopro brand products is Responsible Down Standard (RDS) certified.
Regenerated and synthetic fibers
Viscose
In our products, we prefer the LENZING™ ECOVERO™, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) certified viscose. LENZING™ ECOVERO™ viscose fibers meet both FSC and PEFC certification standards.
Lyocell
In our products, we prefer TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers that are sourced from certified or controlled wood sources.
Polyester and polyamide
In our products, we prefer recycled fibers certified according to voluntary certification schemes. Certifications approved by Kesko are Global Recycled Standard (GRS) and Recycled Claim Standard (RCS).
Kesko complies with the EU chemical legislation’s safety requirements for the products it procures and requires the same from its suppliers. Kesko promotes the identification of hazardous substances and aims to reduce, substitute, or eliminate their use even before required by EU legislation.
We prefer textiles that comply with the OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 and OEKO-TEX® MADE IN GREEN standards, both of which ensure testing for harmful substances.
In line with our sustainability policy, we require all risk country suppliers of our own brands and own imports to be included in the scope of social responsibility audits when the cooperation begins. Social responsibility audits assess, among other things, the safety of working conditions in production, employee wages and working hours, the right to organize and negotiate, and monitor that child or forced labour is not used in production.
International Accord
Kesko is a signatory of the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry, which promotes occupational health and safety at garment and textile factories in Bangladesh and Pakistan. We require the factories in Bangladesh that manufacture clothing and home textiles own brands to be included in the International Accord process. At the moment, Kesko makes no own brand textile purchases from Pakistan.
Factory lists
To improve the transparency of the supply chains, we publish a list of the factories manufacturing Kesko’s own brand products on our website. We publish a list of factories manufacturing clothes, accessories, shoes, bags and home textiles of Kesko's own brands sold at K-Citymarkets, as well as a list of factories manufacturing International Intersport Corporation’s own brand clothes and shoes.
