According to the European Parliament, Europeans produce over 5.8 million tonnes of textile waste in a year, of which only 25% is recycled. Fortunately, we are becoming increasingly aware of the issue and willing to take firm action. A growing number of Polish people are giving up buying new items that drive the growth in fashion consumption and opting for alternative solutions such as second-hand stores. A concept that is increasingly grabbing the headlines and featuring in corporate strategies is the circular economy. Until now, the common practice has been based on the linear consumption model “buy, wear and throw away”. Fortunately, as social awareness continues to grow, we are increasingly choosing to maximise the potential of things and natural resources in order to extract less and reduce the production of waste, plastic and CO2.
Revamp your wardrobe
Re_store has launched an innovative store model by introducing the resale of clothes, helping to drive the circular economy. The customer brings unwanted clothing to a shop assistant who attaches a price tag to it or sends it to recycling. That’s exactly what the employees of Cushman & Wakefield did who noticed the potential in bringing their clothes to a Re_store outlet. Proceeds from their clothes will be paid into the bank accounts of environmental foundations.
“We are delighted to be able to combine two key aspects for our organisation in this campaign: our concern for the environment and sustainability and our concern for another human being. In the contemporary world, sustainable growth should underpin not only a business model, but, above all, everything we do. However, more than 60% of clothing that can be reused currently goes to landfill. The circular economy therefore perfectly addresses the challenges posed by our planet,” says Joanna Buczkowska, Head of Administration, Cushman & Wakefield.
“Such joint action makes a positive change in fashion by creating a friendly ecosystem where you are able to continue to refresh your style while producing less waste. We are therefore more than pleased to announce the launch of our sell and buy platform www.restore.com.pl, which complements the circular business model of Re_store,” says Mariusz Pniewski, co-creator of Re_store.