Can fast fashion be sustainable?

Founded in 1963, Inditex is one of the world’s largest fashion retailers, with eight distinct brands from Zara to Pull&Bear to Breshka. Inditex has announced that by 2025, 100% of the cotton, linen and polyester used by all eight of its brands will be organic, sustainable or recycled.

Material matters

To make fashion, brands like Inditex need raw materials, such as cotton, viscose and polyester. But how those materials are sourced, where they come from and how they are processed has a significant impact on communities and the environment. Inditex recognises the need for change and is getting behind key international initiatives to promote sustainable raw materials and fibres

Starting with Z

Today, only 20% of Zara’s collections are made from sustainable fabrics. However, Inditex has announced that all of Zara’s collections will be made from 100% sustainable fabrics before 2025. After that, it’s other brands such as Massimo Dutti and Pull&Bear will follow suit. Zara is one of the first international high street stores to make such a large commitment to sourcing sustainable fabrics.

Closing the loop

By next year, Inditex has stated that 100% of its stores will be fitted with containers for collecting used clothing to either be reused, recycled or sent to charity, in an effort to make a move towards a circular economy. In fact, since the launch of this scheme in 2015, these dedicated clothes banks have collected over 34,000 tonnes of used garments, footwear and accessories. The items collected have been donated to their non-profit partners, such as Caritas, Red Cross and Oxfam.

This story shows how Inditex supports Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, specifically Target 12.5: “By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse.”

About Inditex

Founded in 1963, Inditex is one of the world’s largest fashion retailers, with eight distinct brands. Headquartered in Arteixo, Spain, they sell in 202 markets through their online platform and 7,000 stores globally.

Learn more about Inditex.