Sustainability

We drive innovation in materials taking this same approach: We are collaborating closely with suppliers and industrial partners who are developing processes and materials with a lower impact on the environment by comparison with traditional models (mainly by using less water and energy), particularly in the area of chemical recycling.

These players are essential to turning innovation into reality, increasing the percentages and qualities of recycled fibres and helping new productive processes attain industrial scale within our existing supply chains. In parallel, we support and invest in start-ups that are developing highly promising technology in response to some of the industry’s key challenges, such as the recycling of fibre blends and synthetic materials. 

A good example is CIRC, which has developed disruptive technology for recycling polyester and cotton blends, one of the most prevalent in the industry. Another is Epoch, which uses artificial intelligence to search for enzymes capable of recycling plastic materials and synthetic textiles through a process that is less energy-intensive than current plastic recycling.

Responsible water management and consumption, the proper handling of waste and safe use of chemical products are the three cornerstones of this plan. We are working together with our suppliers to improve wet processes, ensuring efficient use of water for each process and type of fibre, as well as the reuse of wastewater. We are also engaging with ZDHC to make progress on the safety of the chemical products used.

To facilitate this transition, we are supporting and accompanying our suppliers, a programme that includes the provision of expert advice. This support includes the development of personalised decarbonisation plans, training and tools. A good example is our Best Available Techniques (BAT) Guide, which contains detailed information about practices with a lower impact than conventional practices.

Execution of our roadmap is underpinned by constant collaboration with our suppliers and a rigorous monitoring system to guarantee transparency and encourage continuous improvement. Our framework agreement with the International Apparel Federation to work with business organisations, brands and other players on the transformation of global supply chains in the textile and garment industry is one example of this approach.

We analyse management of our distribution chain and store network constantly in a bid to identify new efficiency drivers and reduce the environmental impact of this side of our business. Logistics is a key prong of our business and also one of the areas where we see the greatest scope for transformation.

We continue to advance towards an increasingly efficient logistics and transportation network. In procuring our merchandise - moving our garments from our factories all around the world to our distribution centres - we use shipping the vast majority of the time. To reduce the impact of this process, 98% of these trips are already using alternative fuels, which can reduce CO₂ emissions by 80% by comparison with conventional fuels.

Our own distribution centres run exclusively on renewable energy, as borne out by guarantees of origin certificates. In parallel, we are working with our logistics partners to optimise each store dispatch by maximising the use of space and consolidating loads to prevent necessary trips. Most of those shipments involve ground transportation, where we are propelling the use of high-capacity vehicles, like duo-trailers, which have the ability to reduce emissions per trip by up to 30%. In tandem, we continue to increase the use of multimodal transportation, combining ground and rail transportation to reduce our environmental footprint.

In the case of online orders, our integrated network of stores and logistics platforms allows us to decide where to prepare each order optimally as a function of efficiency and availability criteria.

Our stores, present in 97 markets, also run on renewable electricity and play a crucial role in our transition to a more circular model. In 2020, we stopped using plastic bags in our stores and in our online packages and since then we have gone on to eliminate most of the single-use plastics from customer interfaces.

We actively encourage our customers to bring their own reusable shopping bags and discourage the use of new packaging by charging for paper bags in our stores. Thanks to this measure, we have reduced the consumption of new paper bags by over 50%. Moreover, we donate an amount equivalent to the money collected from the sale of those bags to environmental projects in more than 30 countries, in partnership with organisations such as WWF and Water.org, as well as the regional government of Galicia.

Our responsibility does not end at our facilities. We want to help our customers lengthen the useful lives of their clothing. With that in mind, we launched Zara Pre-Owned in 2022, a pioneering platform which offers repairs, person-to-person sales and the possibility of donating used clothing currently available in 16 European markets and the US. We also offer customers the possibility of dropping used clothing, footwear and accessories off at our stores thanks to partnerships with organisations specialised in reuse and recycling.

In 2025, we supported 1,182 initiatives in which we invested €175 million, growth of 30% from 2024. Those initiatives directly benefitted more than four million people.

Through strategic alliances and support programmes with over 450 organisations, the company strives to have a positive impact on multiple communities, locally and globally. These projects notably include initiatives for improving access to health services under agreements with MSF, Medicus Mundi and Every Mother Counts, among others; for integrating people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups through our for&from stores and work with NGOs such as Caritas and Entreculturas; and for fostering education and research, through stable collaborations the University of Coruña, MIT and Tshingua University, among many other universities.

Biodiversity is what allows our ecosystems to work, playing a crucial role in water purification, soil fertility, crop pollination and climate regulation. Here, for example, we are working with Conservation International on the Regenerative Fund for Nature to help scale up regenerative farming and breeding practices, and with Ocean Conservancy, an international organisation with more than 40 years of expertise protecting the oceans, on work to reduce the impact of plastic pollution on biodiversity and coastal communities. Thanks to these partnerships, we have funded the restoration, protection and regeneration of over 1.5 million hectares.