Zara, a high streetfashion chain, is intending to make all its collections from 100% sustainablefabrics. Its parent company, Inditex, announced that all polyester, cotton orlinen will be organic, recycled or sustainable by 2025. Inditex is thethird-largest apparel company in the world, according toForbes, and Zara accounts for70% of its sales.
WWDreports that thiscommitment is a first from an international high street brand. Pablo Isla,Inditex’s Chief Executive, announced the new target at the annual generalmeeting and the Spanish retail company will extend its goal to its other brandstoo.
Marta Ortega, daughterof Inditex founder, Amancio Ortega, says the company is focused on makingclothes in a sustainable way and limiting the impact on the environment. Itkeeps working on new technologies and new ways to use recycled materials.
It helps create newfabrics that designers, as well as others in the industry, can work with in thefuture. She believes it is the right thing to do from a moral and commercialperspective.
Whatthe company has done thus far
In 2001, the companysigned theUnitedNations Global Compact, showing its commitment to sustainability. This involved aseries of five-year strategic environmental plans. It aligned itself withdeveloping and using responsibly and ethically produced fabrics, making storesand facilities eco-efficient, recycling packaging, developing an in-storerecycling donation program, and launching the eco-conscious Join Lifecollection.
The Join Life collectionfeatures a number of contemporary styles made from sustainable materials suchas recycled wool, Tencel and organic cotton. Tencel is produced from woodcellulose and forests are carefully managed. The pieces may be produced fromsustainable materials but they have all the characteristics expected of Zarastyles.
From 2016 to 2018, theDow Jones sustainability index named Inditex as themostsustainable retailer.This was due to its commitment to championing human rightsalong the value chain, reporting transparency and operationaleco-efficiency.
Adifferent operating model
Pablo Isla says the company is the opposite of a fast-fashion company, although it is found on nearly every main street in the world. He stresses that it has a different operating model involving making its own patterns, keeping low inventory, sourcing, and manufacturing locally and not promoting in-store.
Inditexpartners with charities like Red Cross to redistribute used stock. Since 2015, it has collected over 34,000 tonnes of used stock and installed clothes banks in numerous stores. Customers can drop off used clothing, accessories, and accessories.
A service that picks up used clothes from customer’s homes has worked effectively in Shanghai, Spain, and Beijing and is being extended to New York, Paris, and London.
Acustomer-centric approach
Customers areincreasingly demanding ethical production practices from fashion companies.They also want responsible retailing in terms of not keeping excess stocklevels and disposing of unwanted garments in the right way. In the UK, agovernment report,FixingFashion,proposed banning the incineration or sending of clothes to landfills if theycould be used or recycled.
Simon Psirac, one of thedesigners at Zara, says it is quite clear that customers want to makeenvironmentally conscious decisions in every aspect of their lives.
Eva Vidal, anotherdesigner at Zara, says that sustainability naturally became part of all theirdiscussions and they started working together with suppliers to learn aboutoptions and research new processes, materials and fibers. The idea of playing arole in spearheading change and finding a new way of approaching business beganto gain traction.
The designers arebecoming more conscious of ensuring that the pieces they design are embued withqualities of durability and timelessness.
Othergreen goals
Pablo Isla wants thecompany to be a force for change in the whole sector. He says that everyone atInditex is involved in the task of sustainability and suppliers are beingengaged successfully too.
Other green goals of thecompany are to make Zara stores “eco-efficient” by reducing carbon emissions,saving energy and minimizing waste. It wants 80% of its energy from offices,stores and distribution centers to be clean energy by 2025.
By 2020, it is committedto Zero Discharge of hazardous chemicals for its supply chain. By 2023 it willeradicate single-use plastics and complete its adoption of green-onlypackaging. It will also ensure the use of 100% sustainable cellulosefibers.
Themove to sustainable fashion
Sustainable fashion isbecoming a trend in the industry and other fashion retailers such as H&M andUniqlo are also well known for their green initiatives.H&M’sConscious collectiondebuted in 2011 and employs recycled polyester, organiccotton and Tencel as materials.
The impact of thefashion industry on the environment needs to be taken seriously and companieslike Inditex are leading the way.
