Target is a partner with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in its Clean by Design (CBD) initiative, which identifies practical, cost-saving opportunities so our suppliers can increase operational efficiencies in their factories, while simultaneously reducing resource usage, waste and emissions. 

In 2011, in collaboration with our suppliers, we piloted the 10 best practices of Clean by Design in three Chinese textile mills, and saw significant savings in water, energy and chemicals as a result. Encouraged by those results, and in continued collaboration with additional suppliers, we expanded the program twice more in 2012 and 2016, onboarding an additional 19 mills into the program. 

The facility improvements adopted by our supplier’s participating mills have yielded exciting and significant results. From Program 2016, 7 participating mills reduced water use by more than 940,000 tons. On average, water usage is down 8% with the 7 mills that conducted water savings projects.  All 10 participating mills of Program 2016 save over 10,000,000 kWh of energy from all energy sources.