Inditex to eliminate single-use plastics
Zara-owner Inditex will eliminate all single-use plastics from customer sales by 2023, executive chairman Pablo Isla has announced.
The resolution was revealed as part of the group’s “sustainability transformation” at Inditex’s annual general meeting this morning at its headquarters in Arteixo, Spain.
Inditex has already eliminated the use of plastic bags at four of its eight brands: Zara, Zara Home, Massimo Dutti and Uterqüe. It has now pledged that the same will be achieved at Pull&Bear, Bershka, Stradivarius and Oysho by 2020.
By 2025, 100% of all cotton, linen and polyester across the group will be organic, sustainable or recycled and the number of garments bearing the Join Life environmental label is set to double in 2019. Join Life is used by all the group’s brands to highlight the use of more sustainable raw materials, and the prioritisation of more water and energy-friendly processes.
The number of Join Life garments increased by 85% to 136 million in 2018. By 2020 Join Life will account for more than 25% of all garments across Inditex’s eight brands.
Isla said: “Sustainability is a never-ending task in which everyone here at Inditex is involved and in which we are successfully engaging all of our suppliers; we aspire to playing a transformational role in the industry.”
As part of this, 80% of the energy used across stores, logistic centres and offices will be renewable by 2025. The initial milestone of 2019 is for the group’s platforms and head offices to meet the highest green building certificates.
Inditex has set a target for all stores to be eco-efficient by 2020. However, Zara is a year ahead and 100% of stores are set to reach the target by the end of this year.
Next year, the group’s stores will be fitted with containers for used clothing, which will be recycled or sent to re-use charities.