Unveiling the Decarbonisation Benefits of Second Hand Clothing as a Sustainable Business Model - #3

In this weeks blog post we will explore something a little different, one of the main decarbonisation efforts and building blocks that makes EC Surfwear. We will be delving into the transformative power of second-hand/vintage clothing, analysing how it contributes to a greener future and why it makes sound business sense in further trajectory.

The fashion industry currently stands at a crossroads in a society grappling with the urgent need to reduce green house gas emissions. It is responsible for about 10% of the global greenhouse gas emissions, which is more emissions than the shipping and aviation industries combined (UN Climate Change, 2021).

As one of the most polluting sectors globally, it's essential for us to consider the benefits of adopting more sustainable practices that reduces the carbon footprint. Embracing the concept of second hand and vintage clothing as a business model not only offers unique style opportunities for it's consumers but also brings significant decarbonisation advantages.

Extending the Lifecyle of Garments

Extending the lifecycle of clothing is one of the primary advantages of a vintage/secondhand clothing business in terms of decarbonisation. A secondhand/vintage clothing business promotes reuse and repurposing of old clothing rather than adding to the rapid fast fashion cycle, where apparel is swiftly discarded. By giving these items another chance, you aid in lowering the demand for the manufacturing of new clothing. As a result, the manufacturing process's carbon emissions are decreased along with energy use, water use, and chemical contaminants.

Reducing Textile Waste

Tonnes of garments wind up in landfills each year as a result of the immense amount of textile waste the fashion industry produces. You actively help to reduce this waste by running a vintage or used clothing business. When buyers opt to buy used goods rather than newly manufactured ones, they keep these garments out of the textile waste stream. Due to the damaging greenhouse gas emissions that decomposing textiles in landfills cause, this lessens the environmental impact of textile waste. You play a crucial part in reducing the waste problem caused by the fashion industry by keeping clothes in use and encouraging resale and reuse of clothing.

Minimising Energy and Resource Consumption:

Numerous resources and energy are used in the manufacture of new garments. The carbon footprint of manufacturing new clothing is significant and includes everything from raw material cultivation to manufacturing procedures and transportation. A vintage or used clothing store, on the other hand, uses fewer resources and energy. You can avoid the requirement for energy intensive production processes by concentrating on already made clothing. Fabric production, raw material extraction, and dyeing procedures are not required. Furthermore, acquiring and distributing used clothes typically has a lower transportation footprint than creating and shipping new apparel. This lessened reliance on resources and energy lowers carbon emissions and protects priceless natural resources.

When it comes to decarbonisation, a vintage/secondhand clothing business offers several enticing advantages. These companies contribute to a more ecologically friendly fashion sector by increasing the lifespan of clothing, decreasing textile waste, and minimising energy and resource usage. Adopting the circular economy model and encouraging the reuse and repurposing of clothing not only helps tackle the serious problems caused by textile waste and the wasteful consumption of resources, but also lowers carbon emissions.

References:

United Nations (2018). UN Helps Fashion Industry Shift to Low Carbon | UNFCCC. [online] Unfccc.int. Available at: https://unfccc.int/news/un-helps-fashion-industry-shift-to-low-carbon.

Assoune, A. (2020). Environmental Benefits Of Buying Second Hand Clothing. [online] Panaprium. Available at: https://www.panaprium.com/blogs/i/environmental-benefits-of-buying-second-hand-clothing.

‌

Maiti, R. (2022). Fast Fashion and Its Environmental Impact. [online] Earth.org. Available at: https://earth.org/fast-fashions-detrimental-effect-on-the-environment/.

‌

Gorman, M. (2021). ‘Alarming’ waste sees 80 per cent of unwanted clothes, textiles sent to landfill. [online] www.abc.net.au. Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-11/textile-waste-consumption-under-estimated/100184578.

‌

Hill, M. (2021). The Five R’s of Fashion: Reduce, Rewear, Recycle, Repair, Resell. [online] Good On You. Available at: https://goodonyou.eco/5rs-of-fashion/.

‌

DhanaTribe. (n.d.). What Energy Consumption Looks Like for the Fashion Industry. [online] Available at: https://www.dhanatribe.com/the-true-cost/energy.

‌

Common Objective (2018). What Are Our Clothes Made From? [online] Common Objective. Available at: https://www.commonobjective.co/article/what-are-our-clothes-made-from.

‌

‌

Shipping Green: Unravelling the Carbon Consequences of Postal Services in E-commerce - Blog Two

Last week we looked at the ways small e-commerce businesses can utilise eco-friendly packaging to reduce their contribution to carbon emissions (an informative and helpful post - I hope!). This week we'll be diving head first into the transportation and shipping process of parcels, directly shedding light on the alarming impact traditional methods have on rising CO2 levels and explore the steps e-commerce businesses should take to ensure our future is not just brighter, but greener as well.

"E-commerce transportation accounts today for 3 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions but is on track to become 17 percent by 2050. How significant is 17 percent? Currently, global transportation activities (aviation, rail, shipping, heavy and light trucking) are responsible for about 17 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions" - Greenbiz, 2020

The ever-increasing surge in online transactions has resulted in an upswing of the number of parcels and transportation vehicles (Mucowska, 2021). This is likely to exacerbate issues related to environmental pollution, carbon emissions, and the use of non-renewable fossil fuels to power transportation fleets, thereby substantially adding to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Schöder et. al, 2016).

There are several ways an e-commerce business can reduce their carbon footprint through their logistics channels. But just to name a few; they can choose a service that offers carbon neutral shipping, that they can then offer to their consumers and/or choose a service with a delivery transportation fleet of all electric/hybrid vehicles. These are some of the existing methods available but companies must continuously invest in new innovations for better alternatives.

What Can E-Commerce Businesses Do?

Offer Carbon Neutral Shipping Options

Carbon neutral shipping is a process companies adopt in their transportation methods that aims to completely eliminate carbon emissions, if this is not possible, they will further offset any further amount by purchasing credits in partnered environmental projects. By embracing carbon neutral shipping, e-commerce businesses can actively contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change.

An Australian shipping provider, Sendle is currently leading the industry by offering 100 percent carbon-neutral delivery. Sendle annually invests in environmental initiatives by calculating the CO2 emissions of each shipped package from the previous year. It then

purchases carbon offsets from South Pole, a global company specialising in emission reduction projects. Sendle involves its small business customers worldwide in the decision making process by allowing them to vote on the projects the company will support to offset its carbon footprint. Through this collaborative effort, Sendle has contributed to impactful environmental projects such as Boobera Native Forest Regeneration, Lower Mississippi Valley Reforestation, Madre de Dios Amazon Conservation, and Myamyn Conservation. As a result, Sendle has made over 21 billion miles of package deliveries carbon neutral to date. Sendle has set an ambitious goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2030.

Choose A Shipping Service Sporting Electric/Hybrid Transportation Fleet

Some companies have recently started to implement electric/hybrid delivery vehicles to further cut their greenhouse gas emissions. Australia Post for example, first rolled out their electric/hybrid vehicle delivery fleet in 2019 - growing exponentially by the year. In 2022, they had 4100 fully electric vehicles being utilised around the country, of that included, 3100 three wheelers replacing their traditional red postie motorcycles, as well as 950+ electric bicycles. They had also converted 109 of their fleet cars to hybrid vehicles and introduced a newer innovation - 3 electric delivery trucks.

Electric and hybrid delivery vehicles produce lower or zero tailpipe emissions compared to traditional gasoline or diesel vehicles. By using these vehicles, e-commerce businesses can significantly reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to mitigating climate change.

But Why?

By choosing to use postal services that are conscious about the future of our environment, e-commerce businesses are able to successfully engage in the aid of decarbonisation. Each delivery shipped to consumer lessens the blow to CO2 emissions that have been swept under the rug many times in the past.

References:

www.greenbiz.com. (n.d.). The environmental awakening e-commerce needs | Greenbiz. [online] Available at: https://www.greenbiz.com/article/environmental-awakening-e-commerce-needs#:~:text=E%2Dcommerce%20transportation%20accounts%20today [Accessed 25 May 2023].

‌

‌Mucowska, M. (2021). Trends of Environmentally Sustainable Solutions of Urban Last-Mile Deliveries on the E-Commerce Market—A Literature Review. Sustainability, 13(11), p.5894.

‌Schoeder, Dustin & Ding, Feng & Campos, Juliana. (2016). The Impact of E-Commerce Development on Urban Logistics Sustainability. Open Journal of Social Sciences. 4. 1. 10.4236/jss.2016.43001.

Sendle.com. (2014). Sendle: Courier delivery that’s cheaper than parcel post. [online] Available at: https://www.sendle.com/.

South Pole. (2019). South Pole is a leading provider of global sustainability financing solutions and services. [online] Available at: https://www.southpole.com/.

‌

Team, S. (n.d.). The votes are in and nature wins: Our newest carbon offset projects. [online] blog.sendle.com. Available at: https://blog.sendle.com/2020-carbon-offset-project-winners [Accessed 25 May 2023].

‌

‌NFWF. (n.d.). Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley Restoration Fund. [online] Available at: https://www.nfwf.org/programs/forestland-stewards/lower-mississippi-alluvial-valley-restoration-fund#:~:text=The%20Lower%20Mississippi%20Alluvial%20Valley [Accessed 25 May 2023].

‌

Amazon Conservation Association. (2020). madre de dios Archives. [online] Available at: https://www.amazonconservation.org/tag/madre-de-dios/ [Accessed 25 May 2023].

‌

South Pole. (n.d.). Project Fact Sheet: Myamyn Lowland Forest Conservation Australia. [online] Available at: https://www.southpole.com/publications/project-fact-sheet-myamyn-lowland-forest-conservation-australia [Accessed 25 May 2023].

Auspost.com.au. (2022). Here’s how Australia’s largest electric delivery fleet is changing the way you receive parcels. [online] Available at: https://auspost.com.au/our-stories/inspiring-stories/sustainability/largest-electric-delivery-fleet.

The Power of Eco-Friendly Packaging in E-commerce: A Step Towards Decarbonisation - Blog One

In today's digital age, the introduction of e-commerce has revolutionised the way consumers shop, providing convenience and accessibility like never before. However, with an ever increasing volume of online purchases, it is essential to address the environmental impact of packaging waste. Eco-Friendly Packaging offers a conscious alternative to traditional packaging that not only minimises harm to the planet, but also aids in the global goal of decarbonisation. In this blog post, we will explore the benefits of using eco-friendly packaging in e-commerce and highlight some Australian companies I have used in my own processes that are quite literally leading the way in providing biodegradable options.

"The greatest share of greenhouse gas emissions generated by the e-commerce industry comes from the traditional packaging of goods, accounting for approximately 45 percent of total estimated emissions" (Statista, 2020)

What Are The Benefits?

• Eco-Friendly packaging reduces green house gases (GHGs)

Eco-friendly packaging eliminates the need to recycle or remanufacture single use packaging, reducing CO2 emissions by up to 60%. (Reusable Packaging Association, 2021) This is because eco-friendly packaging materials typically require less energy to produce and decompose more quickly, reducing the amount of waste generated.

• Eco-Friendly packaging reduces energy consumption

Traditional packaging production is hugely energy intensive and emits greenhouse gases that damage the environment and contribute to global warming. Creating new packaging from existing materials uses less energy than using raw materials. A study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that eco-friendly packaging made from recycled materials requires up to 50% less energy to produce than traditional packaging.

• Eco-Friendly packaging promotes a circular economy

Eco-friendly packaging materials are often designed to be reused, recycled, or composted, promoting a circular economy. This reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and minimises the need for raw materials. A circular economy could cut the volume of packaging sent to waste by 80% each year, it could also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25%. (Tipa Corp, 2022)

What Are Some Australian Companies To Use In My Experience....

Hero Packaging

Hero Packaging offers compostable and biodegradable packaging products, including mailers, satchels, and labels made from plant-based materials. Their products possess a high quality finish, reasonable price point and are designed to be reused, recycled or composted. Hero packaging was the first company I used when making the switch from traditional packaging. It provided me with an educated introduction to the world of eco-friendly packaging options and ultimately, assisted in distinguishing the EC Surfwear's business morals and practices.

Shop their range here: https://heropackaging.com.au/

Heaps Good Packaging

Heaps Good Packaging provides eco-friendly packaging options made from recycled materials, including mailers, boxes, and bubble wrap alternatives. Their products are also designed to be reused, recycled, or composted, reducing the amount of waste generated from e-commerce packaging. Now my current source of packaging for EC Surfwear, I made the switch to Heaps Good for their cheaper price point and more aligned brand values. As their overall mission mirrors that of Hero, either of the two are great options to incorporate into an e-commerce business - it all comes down to personal preference.

Shop their range here: https://heapsgoodpackaging.com.au/

References:

Statista. (n.d.). E-commerce average emissions by source 2020. [online] Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1254302/e-commerce-average-emissions-by-source/.

Anon, (n.d.). Reduce Environmental Impact with Reusable Packaging | Reusable Packaging Association. [online] Available at: https://www.reusables.org/reusable-packaging/environmental-impact/#:~:text=Reusable%20packaging%20eliminates%20the%20need.

‌

www.nrel.gov. (n.d.). Plastic Packaging Recycling and Clean Energy Manufacturing. [online] Available at: https://www.nrel.gov/manufacturing/remade.html [Accessed 9 May 2023].

‌

Team, T. (2022). Can Compostable Packaging Reduce Global Warming? [online] T I P A. Available at: https://tipa-corp.com/blog/can-the-use-of-compostable-packaging-reduce-global-warming/ [Accessed 9 May 2023].

‌