SUPPLIER FOCUS 2022
Respect for people, caring for the environment and building strong communities underpin the garment manufacturer’s operations
Caring for our people
“At Gildan, we embrace our responsibility to treat our 40,000+ people with respect and dignity while providing them with rewarding, safe, and healthy work environments,” reports the garment manufacturer. “We also strive to foster a company culture where employees are valued and aim to create fair and equal opportunities for all of our employees to grow with us and share our success. This commitment is felt from the factory floors to our management teams, because our people come first.”
There are three main strands that make up Gildan’s approach to its people, the first of which is insisting on ethical labour by protecting the rights and well-being of the people who make Gildan’s clothes. Secondly, the company ensures its workers have safe and healthy work environments, and finally, it provides its people with equitable environments where they can learn and grow with the company and reach their fullest potential.
Gildan continuously improves its operations with the aim of becoming one of the world’s most efficient and sustainable apparel manufacturers
Youth education is just one of the areas that Gildan invests in to ensure local communities can share in its success
Conserving the environment
For more than 16 years, Gildan has measured, monitored, optimised, and reported its environmental results to make sure the company can understand and lower its impact on the planet. “And since then, we have pursued continuous improvements in every aspect of our operations to become one of the world’s most efficient and sustainable apparel manufacturers,” it adds.
For example, Gildan uses water efficiently and manages its wastewater responsibly and sustainably. With regards to climate change and energy use, Gildan uses technologies and initiatives to reduce its energy consumption, increase its use of renewable energy, and optimise energy efficiency to reduce the company’s footprint on the planet.
In addition, the company maximises how it reuses, recycles, and repurposes materials, and primarily purchases US cotton because of “the inherent ethical and sustainable benefits that it maintains as a highly regulated crop in every process”.
Creating stronger communities
“We know that the strength of our communities drives our success,” says Gildan. “That’s why we make sure to operate responsibly and create positive economic impacts in the regions where we operate. This extends well beyond creating jobs by also supporting sustainable economic development, investing in local suppliers, and creating positive social impacts in these regions.”
The garment manufacturer is also committed to building stronger communities by partnering with organisations that target and respond to the most pressing local needs. Gildan invests in youth education, active living, the environment, and entrepreneurship in the regions where it operates so that its communities have the opportunity to share in the company’s success.
