Mango launches new sustainability strategy: what does this mean?

The Spanish clothing company, Mango, has unveiled a new sustainability strategy, which will act as their road map to integrating sustainability into their business model. The brand has set itself some ambitious new targets in its Sustainable Vision 2030 report, which seeks to reduce its social and environmental impacts on ‘product, planet, and people’. 

They intend to integrate new objectives and more demanding measurement systems that are aligned with the most rigorous standards in the market. Mango intends to make sustainability integral in everything they do and looks to this vision as the next phase of its journey towards both a more committed and environmentally friendly clothing industry. 

Transparency is key

The company has already started to work on its footprint by expanding its sustainability team, which currently includes 20 dedicated employees. Mango will also be transitioning from its ‘committed’ label to QR codes. This comes due to the European Commission’s new textile regulatory changes. 

The QR codes will redirect customers to Mango’s website which will give further details on the garments’ composition or where they were manufactured and designed to offer more transparency. This is a positive sign, given that transparency is one of the biggest issues surrounding sustainability in the fashion industry.  

Mango has also laid out three lines of action in the new sustainability strategy – product, people, and planet. Under the product section, they will be prioritising more environmentally sound designs and materials that align with circular design criteria. With this move, they hope for these materials to be predominant in most of their products by 2030. 

Additionally, all of the fibres they use will be more sustainable as a whole or recycled by then. The brand has also said that between now and 2025, 100 percent of the cotton used in its clothing will be sustainable. All of its polyesters will be recycled, and 100 percent of its cellulosic fibres will be sourced in a controlled manner and traceable. 

What does Mango’s new sustainability strategy mean and why is it important? 

Fast fashion is the second biggest polluter after oil; 60 percent of fast fashion clothing items end up in landfill and 20 percent of industrial water pollution is caused by dyes and solvents used when manufacturing garments. With all of this in mind, it is clear the industry needs to be reshaped, and what better way than by going circular?

This is exactly what Mango will be trying to do by creating more easily designed garments. For example, those with fewer accessories or one type of material so they can easily recycle it. Moreover, designing better quality clothing that features timeless designs and optimises material use and textile waste. 

All of these actions will help Mango tackle its greenhouse gas emissions, with a particular focus on its direct Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions. The company has said doing this will enable them to reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 80 percent and Scope 3 by 30 percent. Beyond emissions, their new sustainability strategy includes reducing their water impact by 25 percent by the 2030 deadline. 

The business will be focusing on Scope 3 emissions by auditing its suppliers and ensuring transparency throughout the value chain. The brand has already published its Tier 1, 2, and 3 factors to show its customers its commitment to the planet. It seems promising that Mango is implementing genuine action and setting an example for other high-end clothing brands to follow.

In the wake of Mango’s new sustainability strategy, it’s evident that many companies are prioritising sustainable practices. A notable example is PepsiCo, which recently launched its own sustainability platform. This trend underscores a growing corporate commitment to environmental responsibility.