Target has unveiled Universal Thread as its first apparel brand designed for full circularity, marking a major step forward in the retailer’s Target Forward sustainability strategy. The US$1bn brand now integrates digital IDs across all garments and accessories, enabling consumers to access product sustainability features and verified resale pathways through scannable QR codes.
Developed in partnership with EON, Target’s retail product cloud platform partner, the digital IDs allow guests to see material composition, care guidance, and ways to extend product lifespan via third-party resale services. Universal Thread denim now incorporates 20% recycled cotton, reducing environmental impact and advancing circularity ambitions across Target’s value chain.
According to Agata Ramallo Garcia, VP and Head of Enterprise Sustainability, the brand represents a growing consumer demand for affordable and convenient sustainable products. “With Universal Thread… guests can shop new fits and elevated fabrics that incorporate 20% recycled cotton while accessing sustainability features and resale options through digital IDs,” she said.
The launch supports Target’s broader climate roadmap, including net-zero emissions by 2040, 100% renewable electricity by 2030, and zero waste to landfill across US operations by the end of the decade. By 2040, Target aims for all owned-brand products to be designed for a circular future — durable, repairable or recyclable, and made from regenerative, recycled, or responsibly sourced materials.
Complementary initiatives include Target’s nationwide car seat trade-in programme, which has recycled over 15.5 million pounds of material, and a clothing take-back pilot across 37 California stores, supporting the state’s Responsible Textile Recovery Act.
Target says Universal Thread is a blueprint for how mainstream retailers can merge scale, affordability and circular design to meet rising consumer expectations and regulatory pressures.
