Zara has announced that it will commit to making collections from 100% sustainable fabrics by 2025 in a list of green initiatives outlined by the high street label today. Speaking with its shareholders, Zara stated that its portfolio of 7,500 stores will be eco-efficient by the end of 2019, and that it has committed to zero waste in landfills from Zara facilities.
Today, only 20% of Zara’s collections are made from sustainable fabrics. To increase this, alongside other sustainable initiatives, Zara has brought in a new board of directors who are solely focused on these future-proofing goals. It aims for 80% renewable energy consumption in its headquarters, logistics plants and stores by 2025 as well.
This announcement follows in the footsteps of brands including UNIQLO and its owner Fast Retailing, which recently said it would reduce single-use plastic by 85% by 2020, as well as Burberry, which recently revealed its plans to be carbon neutral by 2022.
Similarly to UNIQLO, Zara will begin to eliminate single-use plastic supplied to its clients. The company has already begun managing its waste by reusing recycled cardboard shipping boxes up to six times, using recycled plastics internally and the company has started working on a way to re-circulate clothes hangers.
For Zara, sustainability can be implemented everywhere. 90% of its website is run by renewable energy and its design studio pattern cutters create one sleeve or a single lapel instead of the conventional two and unstitch patterns to then be repurposed.
Pablo Isla, executive chairman and chief executive officer of Zara owner Inditex told WWD, “We need to be a force for change, not only in the company but in the whole sector… We are the ones establishing these targets: The strength and impulse for change is coming from the commercial team, the people who are working with our suppliers, the people working with fabrics. It is something that’s happening inside our company."
In case you missed it, check out the sustainable adidas by Stella McCartney collection which makes products from liquified, repurposed cotton.
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