Gap Invites You to 'Recycle Your Blues' to Support Cotton Incorporated's 'COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN.®' Denim Drive

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Gap is encouraging shoppers to gather their old jeans and bring them to a local Gap store where they can do some good and get a new pair of 1969 jeans at a special discount just in time for fall. Today through October 20, Gap and Cotton Incorporated are teaming up to collect old denim, which will be given a "new life" by being converted into UltraTouch™ Denim Insulation by Bonded Logic Inc., and donated to communities in need. Shoppers can recycle their denim at more than 1,000 Gap stores in the U.S. and Canada, and those who donate their denim will receive 30 percent off new 1969 jeans purchases – including the new women's Vintage Flare [$69.50].

To sweeten the deal, Gap is offering its Facebook fans an exclusive deal – 40 percent off their new 1969 jeans purchase through Gap's Facebook Fan Page.

"We love this partnership with Cotton Incorporated's 'COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN.' denim drive because it merges the ideas of fashion, environmental sustainability and helping others," said Marka Hansen, President, Gap North America. "Earlier this year, we partnered with Cotton Incorporated on their first ever national denim drive with a retailer, and it was met with such success that we wanted to give our customers another opportunity to recycle their old denim, help communities in need, and update their fall wardrobe with the latest 1969 jeans."

Last March, Gap and Cotton Incorporated partnered for the first-ever national denim drive and collected more than 270,000 pairs of jeans at more than 1,000 participating Gap stores. The two week 'Recycle Your Blues' denim drive was record-breaking – shoppers' donations matched the amount of denim previously collected during the four year history of the 'COTTON. BLUE TO GREEN.®' denim recycling program. The donated denim served as insulation for 500 homes in underserved communities and for special projects, including Hurricane Katrina rebuilding efforts. 

"Cotton Incorporated is pleased to continue the 'COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN.®' nationwide denim drive with Gap," said J. Berrye Worsham, President, and Chief Executive Officer, Cotton Incorporated. "The last denim drive was hugely successful and it's due entirely to customers' generosity in donations." 

To drive awareness and participation in the 'Recycle Your Blues' event, Gap is debuting a video, which can be viewed here, created in partnership with Mekanism. In the video, men and women are shown in worn-out jeans, which slowly transform into denim houses, to creatively illustrate the program and show shoppers how old denim can be given a new life as denim housing insulation. The video is featured on social media sites, including Gap's Facebook page [www.facebook.com/gap] and www.CottonFromBlueToGreen.org/facebook.

About Gap Inc.

Gap Inc. is a leading global specialty retailer offering clothing, accessories and personal care products for men, women, children and babies under the Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta brand names. Fiscal 2009 sales were $14.2 billion. Gap Inc. operates about 3,100 stores in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Japan and Ireland. In addition, Gap Inc. is expanding its international presence with franchise agreements in Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. For more information, please visit www.gapinc.com.

About COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN.®

The COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN.® denim drive began in 2006 as part of a collegiate mobile marketing initiative for Cotton Incorporated.  The drive collected 14,566 denim pieces on college campuses nationwide, more than double the anticipated amount. Since then, the COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN.® denim drive has expanded its reach through partnerships with national retailers and organizations, including American Eagle Outfitters, Bloomingdales, National Jean Company, Ernest Sewn, Gap, G by Guess, Guess by Marciano, Lands End, Rock and Republic, Saks Fifth Avenue and Vanity, as well as Warner Bros. Pictures. To date, the UltraTouch™ Denim Insulation manufactured by Bonded Logic Inc. for the COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN.® program has been used in building new homes in areas affected by natural disasters. For more information about Cotton Incorporated's COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN.® denim drive program, visit www.CottonFromBlueToGreen.org.

About Bonded Logic Inc

With over 35 years of insulation experience, Bonded Logic Inc. markets and manufactures a wide range of thermal and acoustical insulation products for multiple industries.  Bonded Logic is based out of Chandler, Arizona.  For more information, visit www.bondedlogic.com.

About Cotton Incorporated

Cotton Incorporated, funded by U.S. growers of upland cotton and importers of cotton and cotton textile products, is the research and marketing company representing upland cotton.  The Program is designed and operated to improve the demand for and profitability of cotton. For more information, please contact Shawn Steiner at 212-413-8350 or [email protected].

SOURCE Gap Inc.