Environmental quality is a central aspect of Decathlon’s global strategy, as well as its local strategy. Decathlon has committed to achieving 100% renewable energy use, 100% eco-friendly design, and repairing 100% of fixable products in all its stores worldwide by 2026. To meet this commitment, the company is taking numerous actions.
One of the local initiatives is the opening of an area for second-hand products from every department within the company's stores in Israel. These products originate from display items and customer returns within the exchange and return policy.
Products returned to the store undergo sorting, and the store team decides whether they can be resold, sent for repair, recycled, or disposed of. The products are inspected at Decathlon’s repair workshop, which was established specifically to give products a second life, extend their lifespan, and provide customers with a sustainable and circular user experience. If possible, the products are repaired and sent back to the store; if not, they are sent for recycling or disposal.
The products sold in stores include items that can be repaired and reused, such as bicycles, scooters, fitness equipment, tents, kayaks, and more. These items will be sold at a 30-50% discount off their original price.
Even second-hand products come with the same return policy as new products sold in the chain, including a warranty period.
"An Integral Part of Circular Economy Models"
Decathlon’s sustainable development transition plan includes 17 goals that serve as a call to action across the 79 countries in which the company operates. These goals aim to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. Some of the actions the company is taking include promoting inclusivity and diversity by employing workers from diverse population groups. The company is also reducing international product transportation, significantly cutting down on air transport, with the goal of completely eliminating air shipping by 2030. The environmental impact of production is marked on all products to encourage responsible consumption. Today, over 60% of sales in Israel are of eco-friendly products.
Decathlon's eco-design approaches also aim to reduce the environmental impact of its products. The company's design teams have committed that by 2026, 100% of products will be designed using more eco-friendly methods. These eco-design approaches focus on minimizing the environmental impact of the company’s products by using materials from sustainable sources, such as recycled cotton, industrial waste, or end-of-life textiles—methods that reduce the need for new cotton fiber production. The use of recycled polyester from plastic bottles or textiles helps decrease reliance on petroleum resources. Textile dyeing requires significant water consumption, so Decathlon uses a yarn called "Dope Dyed," which incorporates pigments directly during fiber production. Thanks to direct dyeing, water consumption is reduced, and waste is minimized.
Tali Cohen, the company’s Sustainability Manager: "Renewed products are an integral part of circular economy models. Along with our repair workshops, these renewed products enable us to reduce excessive consumption, decrease waste, and extend product lifespans. Choosing renewed products is a significant step in protecting the environment and strengthening the community."