Gap starting some environmental initiatives

While surfing the web doing online shopping I like to check the “about” or mission statement sections to see about a shops environmental initiatives. One of my favorite clothing brands is Banana Republic and their parent company is The Gap. I was pleasantly surprised that they have an Environment section now. The Gap has had social responsibility initiatives for a while mostly pertaining to fair labor in the textile factories, but now they have expanded on their social responsibility just like many major companies have recently.

The Gap is exploring the more use of organic cotton, which is cotton that is grown without the use of pesticides and fertilizers that can be harmful to the environment. Did you know that a quarter of all pesticides are for the apparel industry? Well the Gap has been offering, at select stores, Men’s T-shirts and tanks made of 100% organic cotton. These t-shirts are not chemically dyed too. Call 1-800-GAP-STYLE to find the Gap locations where these items might be available….

Also during summer 2006, Banana Republic sold a skirt made of hemp/silk blend. Hemp is eco friendly because it grows fast like a weed, requires few pesticides and fertilizers which are harmful to the soil and environment.

The Gap is also looking into sustainable packaging and store fixtures. For example, Banana Republic’s new fragrance collection comes in cute wood boxes harvested from harvested from certified sustainable forests. It’s a small step, but it’s a start at least…

Also the Gap headquarters building in San Francisco also used eco friendly construction. For instance the concrete used was Fly ash which is a by-product from burning coal. The construction diverted 1,800 tons of ash from landfills, and eliminated 2,000 tons of CO2 that would have been generated during cement production.

More at Gap’s Environmental Initiatives
Hope more is soon to follow.

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