TCF POST Report
ATLANTA — Carter’s, Inc. announced significant progress in its sustainability initiatives throughout 2025, highlighting increased use of sustainable cotton in its children’s wear lines and a substantial reduction in virgin plastic packaging.
As the largest retailer and wholesaler of children’s and teen apparel in North America, the company also reported intensified efforts to promote circularity through expanded in-store clothing takeback initiatives and pre-consumer textile recycling programs.
These updates were released as part of the company’s sixth annual Raise the Future Impact Report, which showcases Carter’s performance against its corporate responsibility commitments during the 2025 fiscal year.
“In 2025, our consumers remained at the center of everything we do,” said Anu Piduru, Senior Director of Sustainability. “We’re committed to delivering products of the highest quality, while reducing our environmental footprint and upholding our responsibility to all our stakeholders. This report reflects our continued commitment to balancing product excellence, sustainability, and social impact for our consumers, our stakeholders, and future generations.”
Guided by its Raise the Future™ platform, Carter’s continues to focus on supporting families with young children while investing in communities and minimizing its environmental impact.
Key performance highlights from the 2025 report include:
- Sustainable Cotton Sourcing: More than 86% of the cotton used in Carter’s apparel is now sustainably sourced through the Better Cotton Initiative™ (BCI™) or through organic farming.
- Responsible Sales: More than 60% of 2025 sales were supported by responsible cotton sourcing via BCI, or derived from the brand’s Little Planet and PurelySoft™ collections, which utilize organically grown cotton or viscose sourced from responsibly managed forests.
- Plastic Reduction: The company reduced its use of virgin plastic packaging by 90% compared to its 2022 baseline, with 90% of total plastic packaging now manufactured from recycled content.
- Advancing Circularity: Carter’s expanded its KIDCYCLE™ in-store clothing takeback program and launched pre-consumer textile recycling pilots, providing families with a responsible method to divert clothing from landfills.
Carter’s, whose core brands include Carter’s and OshKosh B’gosh, operates over 1,000 stores across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It also operates a robust network for online sales.
As the largest supplier of baby and young children’s apparel to North America’s major retailers, the company also maintains partnerships through its Child of Mine brand at Walmart, Just One You at Target, and Simple Joys on Amazon.
The company’s emerging portfolio includes Little Planet, which emphasizes organic fabrics and sustainable materials, and the toddler-focused brand Otter Avenue. In 2025, Carter’s reported net sales of $2.898 billion, representing a 2% increase over the previous year.