Gap Inc. to source all cotton from sustainable sources by 2025

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Jun 7, 2019

Gap Inc. has set a goal to derive 100 percent of its cotton from “more sustainable sources” by 2023.

By 2021, Gap brand plans to source 100 percent of its cotton from more sustainable sources. Old Navy will also increase its sourcing of sustainable cotton to 100 percent by 2022, and Banana Republic will source 100 percent of its cotton from more sustainable sources by 2023.

​According to a Gap Inc. Life Cycle Assessment Study conducted in 2016, a single pair of jeans uses an average of 1,600 gallons of water throughout its full life cycle, 64 percent of which is used to grow cotton. In order to support environmentally-friendly cotton growing practices, Gap plans to source sustainably farmed and sourced cotton from farmers who use water more efficiently.

“We’re proud to support innovations that protect natural resources and foster cleaner, safer communities for families around the world,” said 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.”

These steps mark the company’s continued commitment to sustainability since the early 1990s, when it developed labor standards for garment manufacturers in its supply chain.


In 2016, Gap Inc. began sourcing Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) cotton. BCI is a long-term multi-stakeholder initiative that develops and promotes good farm practices. In BCI’s latest global ranking of top companies who source sustainably grown BCI cotton by volume, Gap Inc. ranked number 4.

In December 2018, Gap Inc. was one of 43 founding signatories of the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action.

More recently, Gap Inc. announced in May that Old Navy, Gap, and Banana Republic are launching denim with five percent post-consumer mechanically-recycled cotton content. Currently, Gap Inc.’s Athleta brand and Hill City brand are both Certified B Corporations thanks to their commitment to ethical practices. Athleta is now one of the largest apparel brands in the world to certify as a Certified B Corporation.