American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) published and updated its second report on environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance aiming towards its ‘Build a Better World’ strategy.
The report stated its reduction in water usage by 38 per cent in per pair of jeans produced in 2022, surpassing its water reduction goal one year early.
The report also added that it had recycled nine million gallons of water at its laundries in 2022 and recycled an equivalent of 174 million plastic bottles by using 25 per cent of all the polyester used in production.
Similarly, in governance, AEO is reported to have donated US $ 10 million to non-profit organisations supporting the cause of mental health, youth and women’s empowerment, among other social issues.
Highlighting its certification achievements and the launch of new charitable programmes in the past year, AEO aims to expand its ‘planet ‘ goals by reinforcing newer targets to the existing ones. Some of these targets include, using 70 per cent recycled total water usage in denim laundries by 2025, reducing water footprint by 30 per cent by 2028, committing to net-zero emissions by 2050 and reducing virgin plastic usage by 50 per cent by 2028.
According to Jay Schottenstein, executive chairman of the board and CEO of AEO, “Doing good–and doing right by our customers, associates and communities is deeply woven within the fabric of AEO”. He also added that, “We are proud to release our second ESG report to highlight greater transparency and our ongoing commitment to building a better world. Every day we strive to make lasting improvements across our organisation that will lead to a more sustainable and equitable future.”
