September 10, 2019
Gildan Releases Corporate Responsibility, Sustainability Report
The Top 40 supplier says its efforts have focused on eco-friendly initiatives and improving quality of life for global production workers.
Top 40 promotional products supplier Gildan (asi/56842) announced this week that 40% of the energy it used in 2018 to power its operations, which include apparel manufacturing facilities, came from renewable sources.
The statistic is one of the highlights of Gildan’s just-released annual sustainability report – Genuine Responsibility. The Montreal-headquartered apparel maker, which owns production centers in places that include the Caribbean and Central America, says biomass steam generation systems and other initiatives enabled the 40% energy production from renewables. The biomass systems at Gildan’s Honduras and Dominican Republic locations generate steam and thermal energy from burning agricultural and production waste in high-efficiency boilers.
According to the company, other environmental highlights from 2018 include that 89% of Gildan’s non-hazardous waste was recycled or repurposed; 19.5% less waste intensity was sent to landfills compared to the previous year; and all textile clippings from cutting and sewing operations were recycled. “By running our own operations, we can ensure that our products are made through processes that are respectful of the environment,” said Claudia Sandoval, Gildan’s vice president of corporate citizenship.
Beyond its green initiatives, Gildan’s corporate responsibility efforts include caring for its approximately 50,000 employees, executives said. In addition to what the company described as providing fair compensation, Gildan’s focus includes contributing to a higher standard of living for its global manufacturing employees by providing benefits like 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week access to free on-site primary care medical clinics. Furthermore, in 2018, Gildan invested more than $13.6 million in supplemental benefits, such as subsidized meals, free transportation, vaccines, medicine and vitamins. It also offered more than 5.1 million hours of training to its employees. Relatedly, Gildan invested nearly $2 million in community giving in 2018.
“Part of the advantages of owning and operating the facilities where our clothes are made, is that we have the power to provide good, stable jobs and benefits, and safe and healthy work environments for our employees,” Sandoval said. “We…continue to strengthen our sustainability commitment by aligning our efforts with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.”
Learn more about Gildan’s sustainability and corporate social responsibility initiatives here.
With estimated 2018 North American promotional product revenue of $650 million, Gildan ranked fifth on Counselor’s latest list of the largest suppliers in the industry.