US specialty apparel retailer Gap Inc has announced it is working with supply chain partners to source all cotton for its brands from sustainable sources by 2025.
Cotton’s strong fibres are used in a significant portion of products across Gap Inc brands, and its cultivation spurs economic opportunity by supporting livelihoods in many communities.
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However, much of the world’s cotton is grown in areas where people have difficulty accessing clean water due to pollution and droughts – a situation further exacerbated by climate change, the retailer says. By sourcing sustainably farmed and sourced cotton, Gap is supporting farmers who use water efficiently through better irrigation practices.
“We’re proud to support innovations that protect natural resources and foster cleaner, safer communities for families around the world,” says Keith White, Gap Inc’s executive vice president of global sustainability. “Sourcing cotton in a way that reduces water use and damage to the climate is about creating a healthy environment for our children and future generations.”
The announcement builds on commitments already established by several Gap Inc brands. By 2021, the retailer’s namesake brand is committed to sourcing 100% of its cotton from more sustainable sources. Old Navy will also increase its sourcing of sustainable cotton to 100% by 2022, and Banana Republic will source 100% of its cotton from more sustainable sources by 2023.
In May, Gap CEO Art Peck announced that Old Navy, Gap, and Banana Republic are launching denim with 5% post-consumer mechanically-recycled cotton content.
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By GlobalDataCotton is one of the most water-intensive crops grown. Currently, a single pair of jeans uses an average of 1,600 gallons of water throughout its full life cycle, 64% of which is used to grow cotton, according to an internal Life Cycle Assessment Study conducted by Gap in 2016.
The retailer’s commitment to sustainability includes sourcing Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) cotton, and cotton that is organic, recycled, and verified American or Australian grown.
Gap began sourcing Better Cotton in 2016. BCI is a long-term multi-stakeholder initiative that develops and promotes good farm practices, allowing more cotton to be grown while reducing water and chemical use and protecting both working conditions and biodiversity. In its latest global ranking of top companies who source sustainably grown BCI cotton by volume, Gap ranked fourth.
The San Francisco-based retailer also has a manufacturing goal to conserve a total of 10bn litres of water by the end of 2020; those water savings would be the equivalent volume of the daily drinking water needed for 5bn people, it claims.
