Cotton Incorporated Partners with Gap for Nationwide 'COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN.(R)' Denim Drive

Gap Invites Customers to "Recycle Your Blues" and Get 30% off New Gap Denim Just in Time for Spring

NEW YORK, March 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Cotton Incorporated announced today that it will be working with Gap to launch the COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN.® denim drive in about 1,000 Gap stores across North America and Puerto Rico. Beginning March 5 through March 14, consumers across the country can donate old denim at their local Gap, which will then be given a "new life" by being converted into UltraTouch™ Natural Cotton Fiber Insulation, and donated to communities in need. Consumers who donate their denim will receive a 30% discount off new denim purchases, including 1969 Premium Jeans.

"Cotton Incorporated is delighted to team with Gap on the COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN.® nationwide denim drive," said J. Berrye Worsham, President, and Chief Executive Officer, Cotton Incorporated. "Year over year, this program continues to gain momentum, and the collaboration with Gap will build on the program's success over the past five years." Since the program began, the COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN.® denim drive has recycled enough denim to create natural cotton fiber insulation for over 540 homes.

The two-week denim drive is part of Gap's "Recycle Your Blues" event, where customers who donate denim will receive 30% off new denim purchases from Gap, GapKids or babyGap through March 14.

"We hope the drive will help foster awareness about cotton's recyclability among our consumers, while enabling them to give back to communities in need," said Marka Hansen, President, Gap North America. "What's more, with denim-on-denim being one of this spring's key trends, we think this is the perfect time to take the COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN.® denim drive nationwide to retail locations for the first time, giving customers an opportunity to recycle their old denim and pick up the latest Gap denim at a special discount."

The in-store program will be featured on Gap's online consumer site, www.gap.com, as well as the COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN.® Web site, www.CottonFromBluetoGreen.org and Cotton Incorporated's own consumer Web site, www.TheFabricOfOurLives.com. Emails will be sent to both Cotton Incorporated and Gap subscribers, and the program will be promoted through social networking sites. As a call to action, Gap will air radio spots in top markets across the U.S. and Canada, and each Gap retail location will feature in-store displays, signage, and specially-branded collection bins.

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, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. For more information, please visit www.gapinc.com.

About COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN.®

The first COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN.® denim drive in 2006 collected 14,566 denim pieces 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 and Vanity, as well as Warner Bros. Pictures. To date, the UltraTouch™ Natural Cotton Fiber Insulation manufactured by Bonded Logic Inc. for the COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN.® program has been used in building new homes  in the Gulf Coast region. For more information about Cotton Incorporated's COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN.® denim drive program, visit www.CottonFromBlueToGreen.org.

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 Cotton Incorporated