Storm Creek has reached a significant sustainability milestone by achieving bluesign® PRODUCT status, becoming the first U.S.-based supplier in the promotional products industry to earn the globally respected certification. The achievement covers 75 pullover and quarter-zip styles, signaling not a pilot effort, but a scalable and embedded commitment across the company’s core assortment.
At its core, this milestone reflects a long-term strategy rather than a marketing claim. bluesign® PRODUCT is among the most stringent verification systems in the global apparel industry, assessing chemical management, environmental impact, resource efficiency, and worker safety across the full supply chain—from raw materials to finished garments.
What bluesign® PRODUCT Certification Requires
To qualify as a bluesign® PRODUCT, a garment must:
- Contain at least 90% bluesign®-approved fabrics
- Include at least 40% bluesign®-approved components
- Be manufactured in facilities meeting strict environmental and social responsibility standards
Every step is evaluated for safer chemistry, reduced environmental footprint, and protection of workers and consumers.
Industry Context and Significance
For the promotional products sector—where sustainability claims have often outpaced verification—this certification sets a new benchmark for credibility and transparency. Storm Creek’s achievement demonstrates that third-party–verified sustainability can be implemented at scale, even in a price-sensitive, volume-driven segment of the apparel market.
Jenn Sugiyama, Brand Services Manager at bluesign, noted that Storm Creek pursued bluesign® PRODUCT even before formally joining as a system partner—an indicator that sustainability was already embedded in the company’s operational mindset rather than adopted reactively.
Sustainability as a System, Not a One-Off
According to Storm Creek’s Sustainability & Compliance leadership, the certification validates years of deliberate decisions around material selection, supplier partnerships, and production processes. Rather than spotlighting a single “hero product,” Storm Creek has integrated bluesign criteria directly into design and sourcing workflows.
This approach aligns with the company’s broader credentials:
- Certified B Corporation
- EcoVadis Gold rating
Both reinforce Storm Creek’s positioning that sustainability must be measurable, auditable, and continuous, not episodic.
CEO Teresa Fudenberg emphasized that the objective was not to be first, but to be accountable—underscoring a philosophy that progress in the apparel industry requires suppliers to absorb the complexity and cost of credible standards if systemic change is to occur.
Why This Matters
As regulatory scrutiny increases and buyers demand defensible sustainability claims, bluesign® PRODUCT certification offers:
- Reduced greenwashing risk
- Greater buyer confidence
- A replicable model for responsible production in promotional apparel
Storm Creek’s milestone effectively raises expectations across the promo industry, showing that verified chemical safety, environmental responsibility, and supply-chain transparency are no longer aspirational—but achievable at scale.
