Overall: 6/10

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Gap is a household brand that is known for affordable and fashionable clothing. The brand has received an ‘A’ in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), and is part of the Better Cotton Initiative,  a large cotton sustainability programme on a mission to help cotton communities survive and thrive while protecting and restoring the environment. though there is no evidence Gap minimizes textile waste when manufacturing its products. Unfortunately, none of Gap’s supply chain is certified by labor standards, meaning there is no evidence it ensures payment of a living wage, worker’s health and safety, or other labor rights. During COVID, Gap also had inadequate policies to protect suppliers and workers in its supply chain from the impact of the pandemic. Not to mention that in 2018, factories that supply H&M and Gap were named in reports by Global Labor Justice detailing abuse of female garment workers.

 

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Banana Republic was bought by Gap in 1983, and originally sold military surplus, khakis, and “safari clothes,” before moving to casual and workwear. The brand uses some eco-friendly materials, including recycled materials, like recycled cotton and nylon in its ‘Conscious Luxury’ collection. However, there is no evidence that the brand minimizes textile waste while producing its products. Also, none of its supply chain is certified by labor standards, which ensure workers’ health and safety, fair pay and other rights. Though the brand did disclose policies to protect its suppliers in the supply chain from the impacts of COVID-19, this policy did not extend to all workers.

 

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Athleta is a brand in Gap Inc. that exclusively focuses on female athletes. Since 2020, Athleta has been making sure that 80% of its materials are made with sustainable fibers. Though according to Athleta, sustainable products just have to be made with “30% preferred materials like recycled nylon/polyester, organically-grown cotton, or TENCEL™.”  Also, there is no evidence it ensures payment of a living wage in its supply chain. It also didn’t disclose proper policies to protect workers and suppliers from the impacts of COVID-19.

 

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Old Navy is a brand that is considered cheaper than Gap, but is it better for the environment? Old Navy has some pretty lofty goals when it comes to the environment. Old Navy says that, “100% of denim will be made with water saving techniques by the end of 2022,”and “100% of the cotton used will be Better Cotton, verified US-grown and recycled by the end of 2022.” According to its announcement by Gap Inc. Blogs in April 2019, about 60% of Old Navy’s denim was being made with water saving techniques, and about 40% of its cotton is sourced sustainably. It also has goals for, “85% of the fibers used in clothing be more sustainable by 2025…[and] 60% of polyester will come from recycled sources by 2025”. Though Old Navy needs a little work when it comes to labor, the company does not insure a living wage for its supply chain workers, and didn’t create adequate policies to protect those workers from the effects of COVID-19. 

 

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Conclusion

Gap Inc. gets a six out of ten, a pretty good start for the company. Most crucially, Gap Inc. needs to give their workers a proper living wage and give their factory workers more rights. Out of almost a thousand factories, only one is in the US, and it does not produce clothing, it produces perfume, beauty and accessory products. The majority of the rest are in China, India, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Indonesia. Many of these countries do not guarantee the same minimum wage or workers rights that the US does. 

 

The company is doing a good job so far in cutting down their waste, but they still have yet to reach the goals they advertise on their website which include minimizing how much carbon they produce.