Zara: Redefining Circularity

Zara, the fashion retail subsidiary of the Spanish multinational fashion giant Inditex, marked its first expansion outside Europe through an initiative focused on furthering its circularity in the US. Initially launched across 16 countries, including Italy, the U.K., and France, the platform will now be accessible throughout the US using Zara’s website, app and physical stores. The initiative was announced following the first-half earnings report of Inditex in 2024.
The platform is centred around 3 main courses of action–Repair, Resell and Donate. The repair option focuses on covering issues such as replacing buttons and zippers or mending seams, while the resell feature allows customers to sell Zara products with a brief product detail and image which will be then promoted by the brand’s AI. Based on their condition, the clothes received through the donation feature of the platform will be reused or recycled. A Home pick-up service for donations is available exclusively for New York City Customers. The platform’s significance in encouraging responsible consumption and the adoption of a circular economy model was highlighted by Paula Ampuero Zara’s Head of Sustainability.
Zara has collaborated with more than 90 local organisations, including the Salvation Army of the US, to cater to needs such as fostering a smooth distribution system for donated items or an efficient infrastructure for financing community projects. In 2023, 67% of the total 20,000 tonnes of footwear and apparel collected through the brand’s donation drive were either reused or resold and the balance was repurposed for industrial use or energy recovery.
The sustainability goals of Inditex, Zara’s parent company, include developing an environmentally-focused supply chain, usage of more eco-friendly textiles by 2030, and net-zero emissions by 2040. Inditex’s initiatives for a sustainable future also include collaborating with textile recycling company Circ, aiding Finnish fashion tech firm Infinited Fiber Company, and investing in lab-grown cotton start-up Galy. (1)

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