Zara parent company Inditex announced last month that it banned the sale of all angora wool in its stores worldwide, and to further drive home its pledge, the company donated the remaining stock of its angora product to people in need.
Inditex, in partnership with PETA and Life for Relief and Development (Life USA) distributed 200,000 brand new angora wool sweaters and coats – with a retail value of roughly $878,000 – made in prior seasons to Syrian refugees in Lebanon. The giveaway took place at the Majdal Anjar, Mar Elias, Sawiri and al-Marj refugee camps.
The decision to ban the fiber’s use came after increased pressure from a petition pushing for an end to worldwide angora sales, which amassed more than 300,000 signatures online.
“With 3.8 million displaced people from war-torn Syria, PETA and Inditex have helped both animals and people most in need,” Life for Relief and Development’s chief operating officer Mohammed Alomari, said. “When you have lost everything, something as simple as a new, clean, warm coat makes a world of difference.”
Inditex joins Marks and Spencer, Primark, French Connection, H&M, ASOS and Calvin Klein, among others in its move to ban angora wool from products.