Zara
Flagged · AvoidPushed supplier workers into rushed overtime shifts, drove transport emissions up despite its targets, and faces criminal complaints over alleged Uyghur forced labor.
Last updated October 5, 2026
Reasons to avoid
Issues span:LaborEnvironment
Criminal complaints allege Uyghur forced labor
French human rights groups filed criminal complaints against Inditex in 2023, accusing the Zara parent of profiting from Uyghur forced labor in China, with allegations including crimes against humanity. Canada's corporate ethics watchdog opened a separate independent investigation the same year after a coalition of 28 organizations alleged that Zara's supply chain connects to Chinese companies identified as using state-sponsored Uyghur forced labor.30,000 protesting supplier workers faced charges
Inditex's dramatic increase in air freight shipments put intense pressure on garment workers at supplier factories in Bangladesh, India, and Turkey to produce clothing faster, with investigators documenting overtime shifts, delayed payments, and verbal harassment. When thousands of Bangladeshi workers at Inditex supplier factories protested poverty wages in 2023, around 30,000 faced criminal charges, with rights groups condemning the crackdown as worker intimidation while Inditex declined to publicly call for the charges to be dropped.Transport emissions jumped 10% despite targets
Inditex's transport-related carbon emissions jumped 10% in 2024 to 2.6 million tonnes of CO2, growing at twice the rate of its product volumes, according to the company's own annual report. The retailer has made no measurable progress toward its stated goal of cutting supply chain emissions 51% by 2030, as its reliance on air freight to rush clothing from Asian factories to European stores has continued to climb.
Ethical alternatives
Fashion
ThredUp
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Poshmark
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Reformation
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Patagonia
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tentree
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Quince
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Visit →Common questions
- Is Zara ethical?
- French human rights groups filed criminal complaints against Zara's parent Inditex in 2023 for allegedly profiting from Uyghur forced labor in China, with accusations including crimes against humanity. Inditex's transport-related carbon emissions jumped 10% in 2024 to 2.6 million tonnes of CO2, with no measurable progress toward its stated goal of cutting supply chain emissions 51% by 2030. When 30,000 Bangladeshi workers at Inditex supplier factories protested poverty wages in 2023, around 30,000 faced criminal charges while Inditex declined to call publicly for the charges to be dropped.
- Why are people boycotting Zara?
- Boycotts of Zara focus on forced labor allegations, environmental hypocrisy, and supply chain worker abuse. Inditex's own annual report shows transport emissions growing at twice the rate of its product volumes, undermining its sustainability claims. Canada's corporate ethics watchdog opened an independent investigation after 28 organizations alleged Zara's supply chain connects to companies using state-sponsored Uyghur forced labor.
- What are the best ethical alternatives to Zara?
- Reformation is a sustainable fashion brand using eco-friendly materials and carbon-neutral shipping. Kotn is a B Corp using ethically sourced Egyptian cotton and supporting farming communities. ThredUp and Vinted offer second-hand fashion as a way to find on-trend clothes without new manufacturing.
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