Under the microscope: Zara…How sustainable is it?

With more than 3000 stores all over the world, Zara is a fast fashion pioneer. Each week around 500 new designs are churned out in its stores providing its customers with a completely new shopping experience each time they visit them. And while this may sound impressive, it is not. As you may already know, fast fashion isn’t doing any favors for the planet…

In an effort to keep up with its increasing environmentally conscious customers, Zara has recently tried to boost its sustainability image. But, how sustainable can the “queen of fast fashion” really be? After all, Zara garments are known for existing for a good time, not a long time. Let’s break it down.

Zara’s sustainability goals

In June 2019, Inditex (Zara’s owner), released its first major sustainability goals at the Inditex AGM (the “Plan”). Marta Ortega, daughter of Inditex founder Amancio Ortega, explained that the group is “highly focused on making clothes in a responsible, sustainable way, that limits the impact on the environment… It’s the right thing to do, both morally and commercially, and it’s an approach that we’re absolutely committed to.”[1]

This Plan was intended to build on what the company has done thus far since it signed the United Nations Global Compact in 2001: strategic environmental plans; use of responsibly and sustainably produced fabrics; transformation of stores and facilities so they’re eco-efficient; “greener” packaging; an in-store recycling donation program; and the launch of its eco-conscious Join Life collection.[2]

Milestones

The Plan outlined the following milestones:[3]

• 2022:
  • Manufacture of 50% of all the brand’s garments according to the Join Life standards.
  • Having 100% renewable electrical energy in all its facilities.
• 2023:
  • Having 100% more sustainable cellulose fibers, which shall be produced following environmental standards and supporting the Changing Markets Foundation initiative.
  • Having 100% more sustainable cotton: Better Cotton (BCI), Ecologically Grown Cotton, Ecologically Grown Cotton from Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA) or Recycled Cotton.
  • Green to Pack Program. Redesign of all the packaging to make it more sustainable by reducing the amount of raw materials used and standardizing materials to facilitate their reuse and recycling.
  • Being 100% free from single-use plastic products.
  • Being 100% zero waste and that all the waste produced in the central offices, logistics centers, and stores will be re-used or recycled.
• 2025:
  • 100% more sustainable linen: ecologically grown linen, European or recycled linen.
  • 100% recycled polyester.
  • Reduction of 25% of the impact on water from the production chain.
  • Adhesion to the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment 2025, an initiative led by the Ellen MacArthur foundation in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Program. The commitment promotes the goal of reusing or recycling all the plastic used, enabling it to be reintroduced to the circuit and thereby reducing the amount of unnecessary packaging.
• 2040:
  • 0% net emissions by means of transitioning to renewable energies and a more eco-efficient use of resources.

A customer-focused approach

For Inditex “to make progress on the creation of sustainable and environmentally-responsible products it is necessary to meet the needs, expectations and demands of [the] customers at every stage in our business model.”[4] The group praises itself for having a flexible and customer-focused sourcing model. This allows them to “react swiftly to changing market circumstances and hold minimal stock”. The result? Little inventory surpluses.

Responding to customer needs and generating the least amount of surplus is key. Why? Because 92 million tons of solid waste from fast fashion end up in landfills every year![5] So, if the approach to fashion is customer-centric, the production depends strictly on their needs. No more, no less.[6]

Zara’s “Join Life” collection

Launched in 2015, the Join Life label is Zara’s “green” label. As explained by the brand, it is used on the garments “that are produced using the best processes and more sustainable raw materials.”[7]

Products must comply with the following requirements to be labeled as Join Life:[8]

• Must have been produced by suppliers that have achieved A or B qualification.
• All wet process factories involved in the manufacturing process must have passed the company’s environmental assessments and received A or B classification.
• Must have been manufactured using raw materials or production techniques of environmental excellence.

The elephant in the room

The sustainability commitments, ethical goals and product line that we just talked about seem promising. But do we really believe these make Zara a sustainable brand? Not quite. The thing is that there is an elephant in the room… Can you guess what is it? Yes, you got it: fast fashion.

How can a fast fashion brand like Zara become more eco-friendly while keeping up with its “500 new designs a week” philosophy? How can a brand that epitomizes the problem become the solution without changing its business model? Let’s get real… a top made of organic cotton that’s worn only two times and then thrown away is still a top in a landfill.

Although it’s undeniable that these commitments are a great start and a big step in the right direction, what Zara needs to do is to slow down. Otherwise, all these plans will fall on deaf ears.

As Vogue explained, Zara needs to align itself with where we are going as a culture: “to slow down, to buy less, to make what we have last longer.”[9]

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What do you think Zara should do to be more sustainable? Will you take this information into account the next time you go to Zara?