Bags
#BRINGYOURBAG
Reusing bags reduces waste and minimises the consumption of raw materials, water and energy. To encourage reuse, Inditex’s brands charge for their paper bags and envelopes in almost 70 markets. As a result, we have reduced our paper bags consumption by 47%. Inditex makes no profit from this initiative. The equivalent full amount is invested in environmental projects in over 20 markets.
How do we select the projects?
By collaborating with various social and environmental organisations, we promote projects that seek to protect and restore ecosystems, helping to prevent their degradation, increase knowledge and understanding of how to sustain them and facilitating the use of regenerative production techniques. You can find bellow the first projects of this initiative, which we will continue to add to.
Conservation of Eastern Himalayas
The Great People's Forest initiative, led by the global nonprofit Conservation International, aims to conserve and restore the Eastern Himalayan region. This ecosystem spans the mountains, valleys, plains and delta of Northeast India, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh, representing over one-twelfth of the planet’s biodiversity. The overall effort seeks to plant one billion trees and restore and protect one million hectares of land across the Eastern Himalayas, indirectly benefiting around one billion people who depend on this connected ecosystem.
Supporting regenerative agri-landscapes in India
We collaborate with Action Social Advancement (ASA), together with Laudes Foundation, IDH The Sustainable Trade Initiative and WWF India, to promote regenerative agriculture, ecosystem restoration and community well-being in an area of 300,000 hectares in the states of Madhya Pradesh and Odisha (India). The initiative seeks to improve the quality of the soil, biodiversity, the optimization of water management and the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture in these areas.
Water access & infrastructures in Southeast Asia
In Bangladesh, India and the Philippines, more than 30% of the water pumped through water utilities leaks due to the condition of the pipes*. This limit water access in local communities. We are supporting Water.org to help change this through the development of projects that will improve water and sanitation infrastructure. These efforts seek to improve the public infrastructure of these countries to achieve greater efficiency and water savings, which will further improve access to safe water for those living without.
* Asian Development Bank study
Forest restoration and conservation in the Mediterranean sea
Forests are home to more than half of all species on land and they also keep many of our most vital systems such as keeping our climate stable, absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. Inditex supports WWF’s efforts to protect the biodiversity in and foster the sustainable management of Castile-La Mancha -which accounts for over 13% of Spain’s total forest area-; promote the recovery and protection of Datça-Bozburun forest in Turkey and the oaklands of the Cratere degli Astroni Nature Reserve in Naples, Italy - both affected by recent forest fires; and promote forest conservation in Dadia, Greece, a vital haven for Europe’s birds of prey.
Water basin restoration and conservation in North Africa and Vietnam
Water is an important source for all life and yet, it is severely under threat. This is why the restoration and conservation of water basins and freshwater systems is a key focus area for WWF. We collaborate with them in North Africa, specifically the Sebou River in Morocco and the coastal wetlands of Ghar el Melah and the wetlands of the Guerbes-Sanhadja plain in Tunisia and Algeria. In Vietnam, we contribute towards restoring the Tra Su wetlands located in the Upper Mekong Delta, with the goal of increasing climate resilience and enhancing biodiversity in this area.
Protection of ecosystems and fauna in danger of extinction in South America and China
WWF has a number of initiatives working to ensure the protection and recovery of iconic and threatened species and landscapes in Latin America. We collaborate with this organization in the conservation of the Gran Chaco tropical forest and Pantanal wetlands through community-based projects in Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay. In Mexico, WWF is working with local organisations to conserve two landscapes critical for the survival of the near-threatened jaguar and threatened Monarch butterfly. In addition, WWF is working in the Taihang-Yan mountains located in the Amur-Heilong region in northern China. This mountain area is a vital habitat for several medium- and large- sized predators, including 60% of the country's leopard population.
Fight against forest fires in Galicia, Spain
Inditex allocates 9 million euros to the new public-private fund backed by the regional government of Galicia for anticipating forest fires. The objective of the fund is to contribute to building a fire-resistant region, restore areas damaged by fire and develop a prevention-focused land management policy. To this end, this project which will fund initiatives across 26 town councils, directly benefitting 118,000 people.