Fast Retailing, UNIQLO‘s mother company, is advancing its LifeWear concept to create apparel that not only emphasizes quality, design, and price, but also meets the definition of “good clothing” from the standpoint of the environment, people, and society.
As part of this philosophy, Fast Retailing has formulated Fiscal 2030 Targets and an Action Plan for core aspects of sustainability.
Fast Retailing will emphasize care for the environment in all processes, from manufacturing to transport and sales, sharply reducing greenhouse gas emissions and waste to establish a production process with a light environmental impact. Simultaneously, the company will safeguard human rights in all processes, building a supply chain that allows customers to purchase products with trust.
Further, Fast Retailing will develop new reuse and recycling services and technologies to extend the life and utility of LifeWear post purchase. In addition, to help find solutions to the increasingly complex problems facing the world, Fast Retailing is extending its worldwide initiatives for social contribution and diversity through the apparel business. Through these initiatives, the company will increase the value of LifeWear and advance its philosophy for sustainability, providing customers with clothing they will appreciate and use for a long time.
“Providing apparel that customers will cherish for a long time has been the aim of our business for many years. With environmental problems and other serious global issues becoming increasingly evident, we have further advanced our philosophy, and are pursuing measures to show the world a completely new way for clothes to be, while contributing to the realization of a sustainable society,” said Koji Yanai, Group Senior Executive Officer of Fast Retailing.
“By moving forward with broad support and cooperation from customers and partner corporations, Fast Retailing will create the “New Industry” of LifeWear. By making LifeWear available to more customers, we aim to conduct business in a way that improves the lives of people and societies throughout the world.”
Since 2019, UNIQLO has increasingly introduced recycled materials. By 2022 Spring/Summer, about 15% of polyester used derived from recycled PET bottles.
Fast Retailing is advancing the establishment of work environments where the health, safety and human rights of workers are protected, covering its own employees as well as people working in the supply chain. Aiming to create a better society for and with customers, Fast Retailing also conducts a wide range of global and local social contribution activities.
Fast Retailing positions climate change as one of its most pressing issues, upholding targets set out in the Paris Agreement, and acting to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. In September this year, the company announced its targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by FY2030. These targets have been approved as Science-Based Targets by the SBT initiative (SBTi).