Inditex Group Will Collect Second-hand Clothes to Donate to Charity

You’ve seen them in a number supermarkets, out in our streets and possibly in a few other locations about town, but now Inditex, Spain’s biggest textiles giant, responsible for brands such as Bershka, Zara and Pull & Bear, is all set to have them in their stores as well.

What are we on about? Well, the answer is large containers to collect second-hand and unwanted clothes, which will then be passed on and donated to charities, like Caritas or Cruz Roja.

This gesture is all part of an initiative to raise awareness amongst shoppers so that they realize that many people, including whole families, still depend on Spain’s charities for basic necessities such as clothes and food.

As well as the benefit offered to a third party, donating unwanted clothes that may be useful to others will also lengthen the shelf-life of each item of clothing, promoting sustainability.

The idea was presented only two weeks’ ago to the board of directors as part of their proposed revised plan for their policy on sustainability.

Amancio Ortega, founder and first shareholder of the Inditex group, has always been strongly linked to charity organizations such as Cáritas.

Some of his stores are already collecting clothes for charity, and it is hoped that soon every single store belonging to the group will house these charity clothes containers.

The initiative will also go ahead in other European cities, including Stockholm, Amsterdam and Copenhagen.

And, as part of the scheme, it will be those members of society at risk of exclusion or who are registered on various reintegration programmes that will be in charge of running this project, rather than employees already working for the Spanish company.

Source: www.eleconomista.es