Gap Inc. Social Responsibility

Gap Inc. Outlet is a leading retailer in the outlet marketplace, extending the reach of our company’s iconic brands. Through both Gap Outlet and Banana Republic Factory Stores, we deliver great product at a compelling value. We believe that people should be free to express themselves, and that style should be accessible and affordable to all.

We are also passionately committed to doing what’s right for our customers, our people and our planet. Even as we focus on providing great value, we challenge ourselves every day to reduce our impact on the environment throughout our stores, offices and homes. And we’re proud of our results.

Greening Our Products

At Banana Republic Factory Stores, we're excited to have introduced our first organic cotton collection for Summer 2009. This new eco-friendly collection delivers a nature-inspired, feminine aesthetic to our customers and is made with sustainable fibers chosen for their minimal impact on the environment.

All Banana Republic Factory Store products and packaging made with sustainable fibers will feature our green elephant icon, which clearly and easily identifies products that support earth-friendly efforts.

In addition to this collection, we’re using organic cotton for our graphic tees and are exploring the use of recycled fibers in our denim and socks. 

Finally, we continue to support Gap Inc.’s Denim Clean Water Program in both brands. To ensure the safety of the water that the facilities we work with discharge into the environment, we require all denim laundries to participate in our clean water program, which is based on BSR's strict guidelines. This means that the water used in washing our jeans has been specially treated to ensure that it’s safe and clean for local communities when it leaves the denim laundry.

Greening Our Stores

We do our best to make our stores as green as they can be. We are proud that Gap Inc. and its family of brands are part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Leaders program, a voluntary initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 11 percent between 2003 and 2008.

Across our Outlet stores, we’ve invested in temperature-control and management training, and introduced more energy-saving materials and fixtures. We’ve installed new lighting that’s more energy efficient and lowers our HVAC cooling needs, while building concrete and vinyl floors made with recyclable components. As a result of these improvements, we’re proud to say that Outlet has the lowest energy use of all Gap Inc.’s fleets of stores.

In addition, we’re testing a new store prototype in 2009 with non-toxic paints, eco-friendly wainscot, water-saving restroom fixtures, recycled-metal fixtures and concrete floor and HVAC units. All of these items keep us on track toward achieving our LEED® certification, which recognizes that we meet rigorous standards for incorporating green principles into our store design.

Greening Our Packaging and Deliveries

Many of our current packaging materials are made with a percentage of recycled materials, and we’re working toward increasing those percentages whenever possible.

In 2007, we reduced our carbon footprint by decreasing the number of deliveries to our stores by over 13 percent and, in 2008, we dropped even further and saved an additional 16 percent.

Greening Our Lives

As part of Earth Day 2009, each employee throughout our offices made one personal resolution to change one practice, either at home or work, to be more eco-friendly.

Here are a few of our commitments:

“I will start composting!”

“I will start a vegetable garden.”

“I will recycle my bath water.”

“I will take public transportation to work.”

“I will stop using paper cups, plates and napkins.”

“I will start a free-cycle program at work.”

Whether at home or at work, we’re guided by our commitment to act responsibly in supporting people, our communities and the protection of our natural resources.