Goals and progress
Environment | Our program in action
Clean water program
Location: Worldwide
Summary: We’re requiring special treatment of water used to launder Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy denim to ensure that it’s clean and safe when it leaves the denim laundry.
What impact do jeans have on the environment? Much of the answer is in the manufacturing process.
Factories that make jeans for our brands launder them before shipping them on to distribution centers. The process of making denim requires a significant amount of chemicals, dyes and water. If the wastewater isn’t properly treated, it pollutes rivers and streams and can harm local communities.
Gap Inc. is a member of BSR's Sustainable Water Group, a partnership of companies committed to managing water use and wastewater discharge in global textile supply chains. In the late 1990’s the group established clear guidelines for the presence of toxic chemicals, such as copper and mercury, in mills and laundries. It also established that factories should not produce any visible discharge of “floating solids or persistent foam” or send sewage trickling into open bodies of water.
In 2004, we established a Clean Water Program to monitor denim laundries’ wastewater discharge and require them to clean up wastewater practices. We measure progress against strict industry guidelines, which include overall water temperature, color gradations and chemical makeup.
CH2M Hill, an independent environmental consultancy, has reviewed data from all the 100 or so approved denim laundries producing Gap Inc. branded denim. We’re using the findings of that analysis to identify non-compliant denim laundries and work with them to develop corrective action plans.
In December 2008, we introduced a new denim laundry policy to our suppliers. It requires that all Gap Inc. denim laundries meet, or show their intent to meet, our wastewater quality guidelines. The policy includes two sets of guidelines: one set for denim laundries that are new to the program to help bring them into compliance, and a second set for those with experience participating in our program.
