Waste
Global store and office waste is reduced through recycling efforts outlined by the UN Sustainable Development Goals 12 and 17.
A&F Co. Strategy
Global Home Office & Distribution Centers
At the A&F Co. Global Home Office in New Albany, OH, we are working to continue to identify different ways to keep waste out of landfill. Examples of current programs focused on waste diversion include:
- Food waste from our Global Home Office and Distribution Center kitchens is composted with a local service provider, GoZero.
- Polybags are collected and recycled with our partner g2 revolution.
- Denim scraps are collected and recycled with Blue Jeans Go Green into housing insulation and other products.
- Similarly, fabric scraps are also collected and recycled into car and gym mat stuffing with ReVive Fiber.
Stores
Where available, A&F Co. stores recycle garment polybags where programs are offered. In addition, A&F Co. partners with g2 revolution, a specialty recycler, to transition to hazardous waste, recycling, and beneficial reuse programs for returned or damaged personal care in stores. All new and remodeled stores join the hazardous waste and recycling programs, and the remaining stores are converted when possible.
Packaging
In an effort to reduce the use of virgin material, all shopping bags at our stores are made from at least 60% recycled content and are fully recyclable. Gift boxes available in stores are made from at least 50% recycled material.
When customers receive their A&F Co. orders by mail, whether in the U.S. or internationally, the mailer bags, which are sourced regionally, are made from at least 50% post-industrial plastic.
Excess Inventory
At times, A&F Co. has excess inventory. Since 2013, A&F Co. has donated more than nearly $23 million in clothing to World Vision, a global humanitarian organization. World Visions’ work focuses on empowering women and girls to live safer, healthier, and more productive lives through access to healthcare, clean water, education and economic opportunities. Their approach seeks to address systemic barriers by working with entire communities to promote gender equality. To support these efforts, our partnership has provided clothing to families in Africa and other regions around the world. A&F Co. and World Vision continue to explore and implement new processes designed to promote further growth of the partnership while also being more efficient and limiting the environmental impact.