Responsible Sourcing

“Our team is passionate about being responsible corporate citizens. The sandblast ban is one step in our journey to better understand the impact Target has on the supply chain, the environment and workers, and look for meaningful ways to implement change.”

Jey John
Lead Fabric Engineer, Target

To protect the health and well-being of garment workers, Target recently banned the use of sandblasting – a technique that uses abrasive materials to give denim a worn-in look – for all owned-brand and national brand apparel sold at Target.

Even with stringent safety standards and protective gear, the sandblasting process can expose workers to a harmful compound found in sand and lead to serious health issues. When Target learned about these negative impacts, we partnered with our vendors, including the technicians at the wash facilities where sandblasting occurs, to understand production processes and explore alternatives.

Through thoughtful planning and by leveraging the experience of Levi’s – the first brand to ban sandblasting – Target recently discontinued its internal development of new products using sandblasting. By late 2012, Target will no longer carry product made using this harmful technique.

In addition to our ongoing focus on worker safety, Target continues to look for ways to decrease the impact of our manufacturing processes on the environment through initiatives such as water and energy reduction in the dying process and by sourcing alternative fibers.

Target engages with federal government agencies and nonprofit partners to share our social-compliance best practices for ensuring our products are produced ethically and in accordance with our Standards of Vendor Engagement.

Target’s social compliance team recently invited several representatives from the Department of Labor (DOL) and Center for Reflection, Education and Action (CREA) to travel with us to three vendor factories and shadow our social compliance audit process.

The DOL and CREA representatives were able to see several field audits first hand, from the way we tour a factory and interview workers to our process for reviewing personnel records and discussing issues with factory management. These audits help improve working conditions and protect the health and safety of our vendors’ factories’ employees.

By helping government and nonprofit organizations better understand how we manage our supply chain responsibly, we can better equip others to share these good practices, ultimately elevating and improving social compliance across many industries.

“Visiting the factories was very helpful in understanding how all the elements of the Target audit program work in practice.”

Rebecca Rowles
Department of Labor, Office of Trade and Labor Affairs

At Target, we see responsible sourcing as more than bringing guests high-quality products in an ethical way; it's also about working with our partners – local and worldwide – to build strong, healthy and safe communities.

One of the many ways we strengthen communities is through Target’s International Giving Program (IGP), which supports quality, accessible education for children and youth in communities around the world where our team members live and work. We know a solid educational foundation gives all children a chance to succeed in life and we’re committed to investing in their academic achievement.

Room to Read, which focuses on literacy and gender equality in education in 10 developing countries, is one of more than 65 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that Target supports with IGP grants. Our support has helped Room to Read establish libraries in schools and non-formal education centers in India and Vietnam – from stocking libraries with up to 3,000 local language and English books, games, puzzles, and posters, to providing teacher training – all of which helps students develop strong reading habits. In addition to Target’s grant support, our team members also volunteer at Room to Read libraries and other NGOs in their communities around the globe.

To learn more about Target’s International Giving Program, visit Target.com/igp.