Gap Inc. Unveils New Sustainable Manufacturing Goal to Conserve 10 Billion Liters of Water by the End of 2020
20 March 2018 - 3:00AM
Business Wire
Product innovation and efficiency improvements
at fabric mills and laundries will be key to savings
Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) today unveiled a new sustainable
manufacturing goal to conserve a total of 10 billion liters of
water by the end of 2020; those water savings would be the
equivalent volume of the daily drinking water need for 5 billion
people. Product innovation and efficiency improvements at fabric
mills and laundries will be key to achieving these water savings.
Progress towards the goal is already underway: since 2014, Gap
Inc.-led projects have saved more than 2.4 billion liters of
water.
“Water is critical to nearly all aspects of our business, and we
recognize the responsibility and the opportunity we have to reduce
the amount of water used to create our products. Leveraging the
power of product innovation and improved manufacturing practices,
we can help ensure that our customers not only look great in their
favorite jeans and t-shirts, but also feel good about how their
purchases are helping to make a positive impact for communities and
helping to tackle global water scarcity,” said Christophe Roussel,
Executive Vice President of Global Sourcing at Gap Inc.
In recent years, Gap Inc. has steadily ramped up its efforts to
help drive water efficiency improvements at the mill and laundry
level. In 2013, the company launched a Mill Sustainability Program
to improve social and environmental practices of fabric mills.
Additionally, the company encourages its suppliers to conduct
environmental footprint assessments, including water use, using the
Sustainable Apparel Coalition's (SAC) Higg Index. It also actively
monitors and helps improve wastewater quality at denim laundries
through its strengthened Water Quality Program, which was first
launched in 2004 to help ensure that wastewater from denim
laundries is properly treated.
At the product level, Gap brand has pioneered a smart denim wash
program called Washwell that reduces water use by 20 percent or
more. Since the program began in 2016, Washwell has saved more than
100 million liters of water.
“We believe that access to clean and safe drinking water is a
fundamental human right, so we strive to ensure that the process of
making our clothes is safe for people and communities. It’s not
only the right thing for people and the planet, it’s also crucial
for our business growth,” said David Hayer, Senior Vice President
of Global Sustainability and President of Gap Foundation at Gap
Inc.
To ensure a broader impact, Gap Inc. is also working with other
leading brands to advocate for the implementation of more
environmentally responsible manufacturing practices. This includes
working to help scale the Natural Resources Defense Council
(NRDC)’s Clean by Design program, which is focused on helping mills
improve their operational efficiencies to reduce water, energy and
chemical use, and serving as a founding member of the SAC’s Apparel
Impact Institute. Gap Inc. is also a member of the Zero Discharge
of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Programme. ZDHC members have made a
shared commitment to help lead the industry towards elimination of
hazardous chemicals in apparel and footwear product lifecycles by
2020. Additionally, Gap Inc. is a signatory to the United Nations
Global Compact CEO Water Mandate.
Gap Inc.’s Water Stewardship Strategy
The new manufacturing goal is part of the Gap Inc.’s water
stewardship strategy, which includes a focus on lessening the
impact at the raw materials and product design level as well as
helping communities touched by its business improve access to
clean water and sanitation.
Through the Gap Inc. Women and Water program, the company is
working to help communities touched by its business improve access
to clean water and sanitation. The company has integrated water,
sanitation & hygiene (WASH) curriculum into the Gap Inc.
P.A.C.E. program, and has partnered with organizations such as
WaterAid on a variety of initiatives to support community WASH
awareness, education and water access in India. Last year, Gap Inc.
and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) launched
the Women + Water Alliance in India, a collaboration to
improve and sustain the health and well-being of women and
communities touched by the apparel industry.
At the community level, Gap Inc. has helped to reach more than
34,000 people with access to hygiene education, sanitation and
clean water through a partnership with WaterAid. With a new grant,
the two organizations will aim to reach an additional 20,000 people
and approximately 4,000 households with access to clean water,
sanitation, and hygiene education.
As part of its raw materials strategy, the company is
particularly focused on cotton, an especially water-intensive crop.
In 2016, Gap Inc. joined the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), and to
date, the company has sourced more than 100 million pounds of BCI
cotton. As part of this commitment, Gap brand set an ambitious goal
to get 100 percent of its cotton from more sustainable sources by
2021, including BCI, organic, recycled, and American-grown cotton.
Gap brand has sourced 52 million pounds of Better Cotton since
joining the program in 2016.
More on Gap Inc.’s Sustainability Goals
Gap Inc. is taking action globally to reduce its environmental
footprint in its retail operations and across its supply chain. By
the end of 2020, Gap Inc. has committed to a 50 percent absolute
reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in its owned and
operated facilities globally from a 2015 baseline, and to divert 80
percent of its waste in the U.S. from landfill.
For more information on Gap Inc.’s sustainability initiatives,
please visit: http://www.gapincsustainability.com/
About Gap Inc.
Gap Inc. is a leading global retailer offering clothing,
accessories, and personal care products for men, women, and
children under the Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic and Athleta
brands. Fiscal year 2017 net sales were $15.9 billion. Gap Inc.
products are available for purchase in more than 90 countries
worldwide through company-operated stores, franchise stores, and
e-commerce sites. For more information, please
visit www.gapinc.com.
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Gap Inc.Laura WilkinsonGap Inc. Communicationspress@gap.com
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