Spanish fashion retailer Inditex, parent of Zara, Massimo Dutti, Pull & Bear, and Stradavarius, among others, will start charging all customers in its home market a fee for paper bags – but it won’t be pocketing the cash.
The fee – of 10 euro cents (US 12 cents) – will be charged at all 1400 stores in Spain in a trial ahead of expanding the charge into other markets. The company sees the fee as part of its broader push towards operating a sustainable business by encouraging customers to bring their own reusable bags rather than rely on the store to provide them. Until now, payment for bags has been voluntary.
The funds collected will be invested in environmental programs run by not-for-profit organisations in Sapin.
“It’s a further step … We want to encourage customers to reuse bags,” a spokesperson for Inditex told Reuters.
While only launched in one market – for now – Spanish stores account for 14 per cent of the company’s worldwide sales.
Inditex has previously committed to eliminating plastic throughout its operations. Bags made from recycled paper have already been introduced to replace plastic bags in stores and for online orders.
Inditex is one of 400 global fashion companies to commit to environmental organisation Canopy’s campaign to reduce the industry’s impact on forest ecosystems.
- Main image: Zaera website.
