­Sustainability Progress Report 2020

March 16, 2021
Sustainability

"We should view every euro and every minute that we spend on our sustainability vision not as a cost but as an investment to stay relevant for our customers, to further define our role in the fashion industry, and to attract the best talent globally."

Rubin Ritter, Co-CEO


Download the full report here

Sustainability Progress Report 2020 (pdf, 8.1 MB)Download

Zalando SE Sustainability Progress Report 2020 Rubin Ritter

Letter from Rubin

"We have been encouraged by the recognition we have received for our work."


Our Progress at a Glance

In this inaugural progress report, we highlight what we have achieved over the past year and provide a more detailed roadmap for the coming years.

Sustainability Progress Report 2020 At a Glance (pdf, 243.51 KB)Download
Zalando SE Sustainability Planet visual

Driving Carbon Emissions to Zero — a Race Against Time

We are carbon neutral in our own operations, deliveries and returns and set science-based targets to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

Reimagine Packaging, Minimize Waste

We’re continuing to implement circular thinking into our packaging designs. Items were shipped by Zalando with 7.8g of single-use plastic packaging – by 2023 this will be zero.

Zalando SE Sustainability Progress Report 2020 Yaels Camacho

Restoring Native Forests in Panama

Yaels Camacho, Forestry Department Manager, Panama

Sustainability Progress Report 2020 (pdf, 8.1 MB)Download
Zalando SE Sustainability Products visual

Defining Sustainable Fashion

We offer one of the largest sustainability assortments in Europe. We identify products as being more sustainable through the sustainability flag, meaning products fulfill at least one of our sustainability criteria. We raise our minimum requirements on a yearly basis to drive positive change in the industry and scale innovation.

Extending the Life of Fashion

We intend to build on the initiatives launched in 2020 to become a fully circular business and scale systemic change within the fashion industry.

Zalando SE Sustainability Progress Report 2020 Francesca Stenschke

Leading by Example With Our Private Labels

Francesca Stenschke, Lead Textile Buyer

Sustainability Progress Report 2020 (pdf, 8.1 MB)Download
Zalando SE Sustainability People visual

Raising the Bar on Ethical Standards

We want to address human rights topics across the entire business in a standardized way and only work with partners who fulfill our requirements. That is why in 2020, we made sustainability assessments mandatory for all partner brands and are rolling this out by 2023.

We are the first platform to use the Sustainable Apparel Coalition's Higg BRM tool as a basis for this assessment and strive to be able to tell our customers what brands are doing both in their operations and supply chains when it comes to sustainability.

Preparing Our Workforce for the Future

The world of work is constantly evolving. Personal growth and development are more important than ever for employees, and new industries continue to emerge that disrupt the status quo.

Zalando SE Sustainability Progress Report 2020 Kevin Velle

From Shop Floor to Management

Kevin Velle, Zalando Department Manager

Read full Sustainability Progress Report 2020

Sustainability Progress Report 2020 (pdf, 8.1 MB)Download

March 16, 2021
People & Planet

Zalando Publishes First Sustainability Progress Report and Accelerates Its Efforts

New insights and actions on our journey to becoming a sustainable platform with a net-positive impact for people and the planet