Compassionate people the world over delighted at the news last month that Inditex – the world’s largest clothing retailer and owner of brands such as Zara and Bershka – had adopted a permanent ban on angora wool.
Now, the company’s remaining stock of 20,000 brand-new angora wool garments has just arrived in Lebanon to be donated to some of the 1.2 million Syrian refugees in the country.
Working with PETA US, Life for Relief and Development (Life USA) has started to distribute the jumpers and coats (which carry a retail value of approximately £600,000) in the villages surrounding the Lebanese city of Tripoli, in the Beqaa Valley, and in the refugee camps of Majdal Anjar, Mar Elias, Sawiri and Al-Marj.
Nothing can bring back the rabbits who were slaughtered after the fur was ripped from their bodies, but with this progressive move, Inditex are helping people in need and at the same time making a huge dent in the global demand for angora, saving countless animals from future suffering. It’s a piece of good news that should put a smile on everyone’s face.
While Inditex are setting a shining example of how to do the right thing, Benetton are still dragging their feet and refusing to give customers a straight answer about their angora policy. Please help apply some pressure!
