Gap Inc. Moves up to 3rd on Global Sustainable Cotton Ranking

Demonstrating a focused commitment to sourcing more sustainable cotton, Gap Inc. jumped up from #4 to be ranked 3rd on the Better Cotton Initiative’s (BCI) latest global ranking of top companies sourcing more sustainably grown cotton by volume. BCI credited Gap Inc. for being one of the “fastest movers of 2018” - notable companies that increase their volumes of Better Cotton by more than 20 percentage points compared to 2017. 

Gap Inc. 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. 

Amy Jackson, BCI Director of Membership said, "Large fashion companies like Gap have significant influence in global supply chains, and their purchasing decisions have the power to prompt more suppliers to source more sustainable cotton. By 2020, our goal is for 10% of global cotton production to be sourced as Better Cotton, and Gap's strong commitment is bringing us closer to this goal." 

News of the uptick in Gap Inc.’s ranking comes on the heels of several other exciting announcements about the company’s sustainability efforts.

• Gap Inc. has committed to a companywide goal of deriving 100% of it’s cotton from sustainable sources by 2025.
• Gap Inc. recently announced a groundbreaking partnership with Arvind Limited. The two companies will open a new innovation center to promote the adoption of proven techniques and technology that reduce water use by the textile manufacturing industry. Further, Arvind and Gap Inc. are also investing in a new water treatment facility that will eliminate the use of fresh water at Arvind’s denim mill in Ahmedabad, India.
• Gap Inc. announced an initiative to produce denim using a waterless, indigo foam-dyeing technique, starting with a partnership between Banana Republic and Spanish denim mill, Tejidos Royo. The innovative new process, called Dry Indigo®, reduces water consumption to 0% in indigo dying, while using 89% less chemicals, reducing energy usage by 65% and eliminating water discharge to 0%. 

For more information about how Gap Inc. is working to be a responsible leader in the industry and how the company's brands are shaping the way forward, please visit https://www.gapincsustainability.com/.