Drop & Loop

As of February 1st, 2022, we started with Drop & Loop in our Garcia stores and our HQ in Alblasserdam, a convenient and easy way for our customers and employees to recycle their unwanted textiles.

With Drop & Loop, you can easily drop off your used clothing and household textiles at our designated collection points. This initiative aligns with our commitment to environmental responsibility by ensuring that these items are properly recycled or reused, reducing waste and promoting a circular economy. Learn more about Drop & Loop.

Headquarters & Retail

At Garcia, we prioritize sustainable energy practices. Since January 1, 2020, we have transitioned to purchasing wind electricity from Europe, covering a majority of our energy needs at both our head office and retail locations. Wind energy is an infinite resource, in contrast to finite fossil fuels like oil, coal, and gas, and emits 50 times less CO2 compared to conventional grey electricity (Wind energy and mills). Through Guarantees of Origin, we ensure transparency in tracing the origin of our energy, supported by our collaboration with AFS Energy.
 
Across our Garcia stores, headquarters, and warehouse, we have upgraded to energy-efficient LED lighting, significantly reducing energy consumption compared to traditional lighting (Energiezuinig verlichten: wat led je? | Milieu Centraal). Additionally, we have implemented time switches in nearly all stores to optimize energy use by preventing simultaneous operation of air conditioning and heating systems during non-business hours. To save energy, we keep doors closed when heating or air conditioning is on to reduce energy loss.

Logistics

We prioritize efficient transportation and distribution methods to minimize our environmental footprint. Products from our Asian sourcing countries are primarily transported to the Netherlands via ocean shipping, significantly reducing emissions compared to air transport (Sustainability of Europe’s mobility systems – Climate — European Environment Agency). Our Tunisian and Turkish Business Partners use a combination of trucks and ships, with air transport making up only a small part (about 2%) of our shipping methods. Starting in 2021, we implemented measures to enhance efficiency and reduce plastic usage in our warehouses. Transitioning from manual pallet wrapping to automated machines was a significant step, and by 2023, introducing thinner wrapping foil led to a 45% reduction in plastic weight, saving 1,000 kg of wrapping foil annually in line with our packaging reduction goals.

All forklift trucks and stackers in Garcia warehouses operate on electricity instead of petrol or diesel, which helps reduce our carbon footprint and eliminates air pollution for employees during operations. Our logistic operations are primarily managed by external partners DHL and DPD. DHL compensates fully for CO2 emissions from most direct-to-consumer shipments, excluding those to France, through climate protection projects accredited with Gold Standard VER credits (GoGreen Solutions – Environmentally-Friendly Freight – DHL Global Forwarding – Netherlands). DPD also compensates for CO2 emissions from our wholesale orders through projects approved by the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS).

Packaging

Our packaging initiatives: 



- Our packaging is made from recyclable materials such as cardboard, paper, and plastic.
- Hang tags are made from over 50% recycled paper.
- E-commerce shipment bags contain 80% recycled plastic.
- We aim to transition 100% of polybags to Recycled Low Density Polyethene (LDPE) by 2025, with 60% already converted*.
- 70% of outer boxes are FSC or PEFC certified; these boxes are reused for wholesale and store shipments within our warehouses.
- Tissue paper use is minimized for essential quality protection.
- Men/Boys shirts now use cardboard instead of plastic packaging starting from SS24.
- Spare buttons are integrated into care labels to reduce separate plastic bags (excluding snap buttons).
- FSC Certified paper bags in our stores are made from 100% recycled paper
 
Through these packaging initiatives, we aim to reduce the amount of plastic and foster improved consumption practices throughout our supply chain. For more information about FSC® and PEFC, please see fsc.org en and pefc.nl.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) - Packaging

The EPR for Packaging is a rule that shifts the responsibility for handling packaging waste from governments to the companies that create it. Companies that place packaged products on the European market have a legal obligation to ensure the collection and recycling of the packaging. In the Netherlands we are therefore affiliated with Verpact (https://www.verpact.nl/). In other countries where Garcia is active, we are member of similar organizations.
 
It is very important to know that you as a customer can recycle all our packaging. Please refer to the recycling logo on the packaging for specific instructions on how to recycle correctly. In this way, we all contribute to the transition to a circular economy, in which waste is considered a valuable raw material.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) – Textiles

EPR is a framework that requires manufacturers, brands, and producers to manage the entire lifecycle of their products, including recycling and reuse. In the Netherlands, we are a proud member of Stichting UPV Textiel. By joining this producer organization, we support the transition to a circular textile chain and align ourselves with the legal extended producer responsibility (EPR) obligations for textile brands. As a member, we benefit from Stichting UPV Textiel’s collective strength, innovation, ambition, and shared impact, making circularity feasible across the sector.

In practical terms, this membership means that we contribute to an affordable, effective, and efficient system for collecting, sorting, and recycling end-of-life textiles, and engage with the entire textile chain, from producers and importers to collectors, sorters, and recyclers, to ensure that our textile products are disposed of in the most responsible way.

What you can do?

Together, we support the shift to a circular economy where waste becomes a valuable resource, reducing environmental impact and greenhouse gas emissions associated with waste processing. Every year, more than half of discarded textiles end up in residual waste, meaning valuable materials are lost for reuse and recycling. The message is simple: bring all your textiles, even if they're broken or worn, in a sealed bag to a textile recycling bin, (thrift) shop, or other drop-off point. This way, textiles get a second life, either as clothing or as raw material for something new.

Find out more: texxietextiel.nl. Additionally, all our packaging, from shipping bags to hangtags, can be recycled.