Updating Sustainable Sourcing Policies for Zalando
Situation
Zalando has set goals to increase ethical standards and only work with partners that align with them by 2023.
Impact
The project improved internal commitment and further engaged Zalando’s audience of 4,000 brands towards an ambitious set of goals.
Situation
Europe’s leading online fashion platform, Zalando, is on a journey to become a sustainable fashion platform with a net-positive impact for people and the planet. As part of its do.MORE strategy, Zalando has set goals to increase ethical standards and only work with partners that align with them by 2023.
Zalando engaged Anthesis to provide support to update its Animal Welfare Strategy and Sustainable Sourcing Policies for 2021. The update was required to set the direction of travel for its suppliers, continue with research into the landscape surrounding animal products, and enable them to progress towards its goals.
Solution
Anthesis completed a landscape review of sustainable materials and animal welfare within the textiles sector, utilising expertise and knowledge of environmental considerations. Then benchmarked the Animal Welfare Policies of industry peers and leaders against Zalando’s current policy, identifying risks, opportunities, policy gaps and any relevant overarching standards.
We engaged an external animal welfare expert to review the Animal Welfare and Sustainable Sourcing policies and identify gaps and recommend further actions. Interviews with external stakeholders in the NGO community to ensure strategies are resilient and future-proof.
Anthesis engaged an expert panel with internal and external stakeholders to consider the animal welfare potential of fibres and materials against other sustainability goals, such as social and environmental impacts, to provide suggestions for a truly sustainable sourcing policy.
Impact
Anthesis developed recommendations and next steps for additional sourcing requirements for Zalando’s brand sourcing targets towards 2023.
Our research and benchmarking of Zalando’s animal welfare policy, as well as the engagement of an external animal welfare expert, served as an important proof point to drive internal commitment and further engage Zalando’s audience of 4,000 brands towards an ambitious set of goals.
The internal and external engagement of stakeholders supported Zalando to set holistic targets for its animal welfare and sustainable sourcing goals, guiding them towards meaningful impact across its sustainability aims.