Big thread company Coats has one clear dare: make at least half of everything from “preferred” stuff, not fresh oil stuff, by the close of 2026. In March 2025, the firm said it is almost over that 50 % line already — just one more small hop and goal one is met.
Table of Contents
1. What is “preferred” raw material?
Preferred means kinder to Earth.
It can be recycled plastic chips, plant-based fiber, or waste that has found a new life.
It is not virgin oil pulled from deep ground.
Coats counts any input that cuts carbon, saves water, or avoids land harm.
Easy idea, hard job.
2. Where they began and where they stand
- 2022 baseline: 31 % threads and parts were already a better choice.
- 2023 jump: cross-team projects lift share close to 40 %.
- 2024 score: official papers show 46 % preferred, a solid climb.
- 2025 spring: press note says “poised to pass” the 50 % mark.
So the curve points up fast. A real tipping point sits within touching distance.
3. Why 50 % matters
The halfway line feels like a brain switch.
When the “green half” wins, buyers, workers, and investors start to think the old half is the odd half.
Momentum grows; next jumps come easier.
It also slices Scope 3 emissions, because raw materials still hold two-thirds of Coats’ footprint today.
4. What goes inside the new mix
| Product bit | Old feed | Preferred swap |
| Sewing thread core | Virgin PET chip | rPET bottle flakes |
| Footwear board (Texon) | Wood + latex | FSC wood + plant glue |
| Heel counter (Rhenoflex) | Virgin TPU | Recycled PU powder |
| Outdoor yarns | Nylon 6,6 | Bio-based PA11 from castor |
Each swap is a small gram, but shoes and clothes add up by the billions.
5. How Coats pushes the numbers
- Design rules. New product must show material score on day one, else redo.
- Supplier sprints. Long deals sign only if mills promise recycled resin ramps.
- Lab blends. In-house chemists test dye recipes that work on rPET just like on virgin.
- Take-back loops. Old cone cores return, melt, spin again.
- Merger muscle. The Texon + Rhenoflex join added eco boards and counters under one roof, letting swaps move quicker.
6. Tracking and proof
Numbers come with outside eyes: auditors from EY check the math each year. Fashion Capital
Coats also follows Science-Based Targets to stay in line with the 1.5 °C climate road.
Progress shows up in the public PDF, so no place to hide.
7. Money talk in plain words
Better fiber does cost a bit more coin on the cone.
Yet waste, carbon tax risk, and brand fines drop.
And the market likes green; recycled sewing thread like recycled polyester thread sales “skyrocket,” said one report.
So the ledger ends happily.
8. Bumps still on the path
- Feedstock gaps. rPET demand is high; bottle supply swings.
- Color hold-out. Some deep shade recipes still crack on bio nylon.
- Price seesaw. Oil price drops can make virgin chips look cheap for a while.
- Training needs. Factory staff must tune needles and ovens for new blends.
Coats tackles bumps with backup lines and blended ratios while full swaps mature.
9. Stretch target: 60 % by 2026
Internal slides now hint at 60 % not just 50 % as the stretch finish.
That leaves room in case a late project slips.
And 2030 vision says zero virgin oil-based input. Big hill, but half of the hill has already been climbed.
10. How brands can hitch a ride
- Ask for thread ID card—Coats gives exact % preferred per cone.
- Pick mono-material options—same polymer in upper, thread, tape eases recycling.
- Book early slots—popular rPET shades sell out quickly before the sales season.
- Tell the story. Hangtag that shows “50 %+ preferred raw” wins shopper hearts.
11. Quick kid-style recap
Half the stuff will be green by 2026.
Four steps done, two to go.
Every spool swapped helps Sky stay cool.
Coats are nearly there; the race is not over, but the finish tape is in view.
Final stitch
A tipping point is like the top of a roller-coaster: slow climb, then whoosh.
Coats sits right on top with 50 % preferred raw materials.
The climb showed new dyes, new deals, new parts—proof swaps can scale.
Once they roll past the crest, momentum will pull the rest of the way to 60 %, and later, full circle.
Brands using Coats threads, boards, and counters can glide too—just grab the loop and ride.
The green half is the new normal, and 2026 will mark the date it became hard to remember the time before.
