Earlier this year, we announced the launch of the Real Good badge. Today, AEO is proud to expand the offering of product labeled with the badge! This icon – along with the term “Real Good” – is how customers can identify the most sustainable items in our collection. It also designates jeans that are manufactured in a factory that meet expectations for AEO’s Water Leadership Program, an initiative that focuses on water reduction and water recycling. Customers will continue to see more of the “Real Good” badge because we are committed to raising the bar, and only working with factories that meet our goals to steadily improve as we build a cleaner, greener future.
In 2019 we introduced comprehensive sustainability goals, which included a plan to be carbon neutral by 2030 and a commitment to move toward the use of more sustainable raw materials and to reduce our water and energy usage.
Real Good is a promise. We understand that every action we take – even the small ones – can have a huge impact. Real Good is our commitment to doing better and working harder. Real Good is not a congratulatory pat on the back – and it certainly isn’t a declaration of victory in our sustainability efforts. We have a lot of work to do to reach our goals. We’re not there yet, but we’re on our way.
What it means to be Real Good today
Real Good materials:
Real Good styles include feel-good, good for the planet materials that have been sustainably produced and/or sourced, such as:
- Recycled polyester
- Recycled nylon
- Cotton that’s recycled, organic, and/or sustainably sourced through the Better Cotton initiative
Real Good factories:
Real Good jeans are made in factories that meet expectations for our Water Leadership Program. Those expectations include:
- Water reduction and management
- Wastewater without restricted or hazardous chemicals
- Water recycling
Real Good by the numbers:
- Our factories are now saving 1 billion gallons of water per year
- We’ve reduced the amount of water used per pair of jeans by 14% (with a goal of 30%)
- We’ve used the equivalent of 60 million plastic bottles in recycled polyester
- More than 569,000 pairs of jeans have been donated and turned into home insulation through the Blue Jeans Go Green program
To learn more about Real Good, visit the AE blog. To check out items with the Real Good badge, visit your local store or online at ae.com and aerie.com. For more on AEO’s sustainability efforts, visit our AEO, Inc. Sustainability page.
