It is proving to be very challenging to get an on-camera interview with any of the leading fashion brands. This is important subject matter that directly involves the work they do. Below is a statement to RiverBlue from Gap Inc., which we have been given permission to use.

GAP INC. STATEMENT
“Gap Inc. continues to build upon its history of environmental stewardship, and we are working to address the issues where we have direct influence, focusing our efforts on the denim laundries and fabric mills we work with. All denim laundries producing Gap Inc. branded denim are required to meet the guidelines of our Water Quality Program, which was established in 2004 and standardized in 2010. We continue to measure progress against strict industry guidelines, which include standards for overall water temperature, color gradations, and chemical makeup.

As for your question regarding PT Gistex, we were alerted to Greenpeace’s report on PT Gistex in Indonesia and confirmed to Greenpeace that we do not source from their textile facility, but that we do work with the parent company, PT Gistex Group.  We reiterated to the parent company the importance of adherence to Gap Inc.’s Code of Vendor Conduct, including provisions regarding environmental health and safety and chemical restrictions, as well as compliance with Indonesian law.

Gap Inc. supports additional initiatives that are underway to help conserve freshwater and improve the environmental performance of dyeing and finishing facilities – including partnerships with Conservation International and the Natural Resources Defense Council. We are a founding member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, and are working with other coalition members and our suppliers to quantify the environmental impacts of garment design and production.  We have also been working with Ma Jun of the Institute of Public and Environment Affairs (IPE) in China, which ranked Gap Inc. eighth of 49 brands as on their list of companies that “Push for Suppliers to Make Corrective Action & Disclose of Information,” page 10:

http://www.ipe.org.cn/Upload/Report-Textiles-Phase-II-EN.pdf

Earlier this year, Gap Inc. joined the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) working group to leverage our collective commitment toward the goal of zero discharge of hazardous chemicals:
www.roadmaptozero.com

We believe these collaborative efforts can help us scale and amplify our efforts to achieve an even greater impact.  To learn more, please visit:

gapinc.com/content/csr/html/environment/water.html