Today is Earth Day 2021, and many retailers from across the industry have made a number of announcements in order to get their sustainable messages across.
And because there are so many, we’ve brought together some of the most exciting announcements for your pleasure below.
David Jones announces beauty recycling program
Department store David Jones announced a partnership with recycling company TerraCycle which will allow customers to recycle used beauty packaging through drop-off boxes in stores around Australia.
The ‘BeautyCycle’ initiative aims to help the beauty industry become more sustainable, and help customers to recycle items which aren’t able to be recycled through normal means.
“David Jones is committed to reducing our impact on the environment by investing in programs and activities that optimise our use of energy and increase diversion of waste from landfill,” David Jones’ head of sustainability Eloise Bishop said.
“Our new BeautyCycle initiative is part of this commitment. It is designed to help our customers dispose of used beauty products in a convenient way and assist in creating a beauty industry that thinks full circle.”
Kathmandu partners up on circular mapping project
Outdoorwear brand Kathmandu announced a partnership with The Renewal Workshop to create a circular mapping project, which will provide a solution for customers through a renewal and re-commerce program.
The brand’s products which are returned through this program will be cleaned, repaired, certified, branded, scored and then re-sold. The program will eventually be available for other retailers to use through their own white-label websites.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Renewal Workshop to work together to do our part in reducing textile waste, and to be the first of hopefully many businesses in Australia and New Zealand to work towards circularity,” said Kathmandu chief executive Reuben Casey.
Camilla launches rental portal through GlamCorner
Luxury fashion label Camilla has launched its own rental website, powered by GlamCorner, where customers can rent the label’s products in a more affordable and sustainable way.
The decision echoes a recent announcement by Spell.
“Australians are the second highest consumers of textiles per capita in the world which means we naturally contribute higher amounts to textile waste,” said GlamCorner co-founder Audrey Khaing-Jones.
Camilla CEO Jane McNally said the partnership is an important step to reduce the impact unused clothes have on the planet, and to give consumers a more accessible entry point to the brand.
Allbirds opens up carbon calculator
Sustainable footwear brand Allbirds has delivered an open-source version of its carbon footprint calculator to help other brands further their own sustainable missions.
“For too long, many brands have focused on marketing sustainability rather than actually implementing holistic, high-impact solutions – and to an extent, it’s worked,” said Allbirds co-founder Joey Zwilinger.
“If we want to continue pushing fashion toward a more sustainable future, we need brands to take responsibility for what they share with consumers.”
The business also launched a pledge on Change.org for customers to sign and share in an effort to push fashion brands to label their products with carbon footprint information.
And, according to FootwearNews, the business is taking an ad out in The New York Times to call on competitors such as Nike, H&M, Lululemon and Zara to be more transparent with carbon emissions.
