Zara has taken over as one of the top clothing companies in the world, offering trendy clothing at relatively affordable price points. From loungewear to professional suits, the store has it all, making it an attractive stop for consumers of all ages when looking for almost anything. However, when something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. While Zara is bringing buyers bargain deals, its sustainability is lacking.

Environmental Sustainability: 2/5

Zara, like many other companies, has made commitments towards becoming a more eco-friendly brand. The question is whether or not they intend to fulfill their promises. Some of these pledges include reducing energy consumption by 20% and water consumption by 40%. Though those numbers sound promising, Zara has no public information on exactly how much energy and water they consume, so there is no way to tell whether they are really making an impact, or if they are changing anything at all. The issue with some of the other guarantees, like eliminating hazardous chemicals, having all cellulosic fibers be sustainable, and making all cotton or linen garments sustainable, is that there is no plan on how they plan to carry out these goals. What hazardous chemicals are they eliminating and what classifies a hazardous chemical to them? How exactly will cellulosic fibers, cotton, and linen be made sustainable, and how is sustainable defined for Zara? Does it mean 50% of material is manufactured with raw materials and through energy conserving practices, or is that percentage lower? All of these are questions that Zara fails to answer, making many of these statements empty promises.

Additionally, since Zara is a fast fashion brand, many of the micro-trends in fashion tend to cycle through the storefront quickly, leading to an excess of waste and production. In order to keep up with these rapidly changing trends, Zara spits out new designs at a pace that is far too unsustainable, as new clothing is constantly being manufactured. Once these micro-trends die out, these pieces of clothing lose value, and eventually wasted. The unfortunate downside to Zara’s business model is that it sacrifices sustainable manufacturing for being relevant.

However, there are some positive aspects to their plan. After promising to eliminate single-use plastic consumer packaging, Zara has proven themselves, as all online orders and in store purchases are packaged in recycled cardboard boxes or bags. Unfortunately that is where the good news ends, as there is no evidence to prove that Zara has adhered to their other statements statements.

Working Conditions and Human Rights: 1/4

Zara demonstrates a strict code of conduct that gives them the flexibility to withdraw business if it does not align with their code. However, though the company claims to have installed well-being initiatives, less than 50% of their factories adhere to this initiative, giving reason to believe that Zara does not fully comply with their code.

With recent outrage over the usage of forced labor in the Xinjiang of China, Zara has not proven themselves a firm supporter of the movement against forced labor. Knowing that challenging the practices in China might interfere with the Chinese supply chain that Zara is dependent on, they have removed their previous statement condemning forced labor, which clearly indicates what their true values are.

Zara’s factories in Brazil are not much better either. Some of the company’s clothing was shown to have been sourced from factories in Brazil that utilized labor conditions bordering on modern slave labor, with employees working 16 hour days. In addition, these workspaces are compact and do not allow much room for movement, making the working conditions even more severe.

Though Zara has made many statements regarding environmental sustainability, they come up empty handed when human rights come into play.

Efforts: 0.75/1

Zara announced a new addition to their brand called the JOIN LIFE movement, in which 20% of their clothing so far is eligible for 100% sustainable manufacturing and production. There is a detailed log of what standards the clothing needs to pass, including utilizing Better Cotton Initiative approved cotton, recycled cotton, recycled polyester, recycled polyamide, and be produced using water recycling. Though this only applies to 20% of products, it is a start, and if it is followed through along with the various other goals it has stated, then Zara’s effort may be commendable.

However, it cannot be ignored that Zara has not addressed their labor practices, and has made no effort to improve them. As such, they cannot achieve the full point for effort.

Alternatives

• Kotn
• MATE the Label
• No Nasties
• Armedangels

Overall Rating: 3.75/10

As attractive as Zara is to consumers, given their fashionable and relatively affordable clothing options, it has not dedicated enough of their processes to sustainability. With no public documentation of their manufacturing practices, there is no way to see just how much Zara is changing their operations, which makes their sustainability promises vague and meaningless. Their lack of commitment to ethical labor practices is also cause for concern, as it seems as though they value cheap materials over human rights. Although they have reduced their consumer plastic packaging and developed an 100% sustainable branch of their brand, their efforts still do not have the impact they need to, considering the vast scale of the corporation. For being such a profitable company, Zara has not dedicated enough of its success towards bettering their brand ethically.

Works Cited

“8 Ethical Brands You’ll Love More than Zara.” Good On You, 6 Sept. 2022, https://goodonyou.eco/ethical-brands-doing-better-than-zara/.

“Fast Fashion at a Human Cost – Zara Fashion Retailer Chooses Sales over Ethics.” ImpACT International, https://impactpolicies.org/en/news/226.

Fernandez, Chantal. “What We Know about Zara’s First Sustainable Collection.” Fashionista, Fashionista, 21 Sept. 2016, https://fashionista.com/2016/09/zara-sustainable-collection-join-life.

LilyLily Rosen Marvin studies English and Creative Writing at the University of Iowa. When she’s not writing about sustainable fashion. “How Sustainable Is Zara?” Eco, 12 Apr. 2022, https://www.eco-stylist.com/how-sustainable-is-zara/.

The Storied Life. “Zara’s New Sustainability Initiatives: Radar.” The Storied Life, 10 Oct. 2019, https://thestoriedlifeco.com/zaras-new-sustainability-initiatives/.