Packaging waste is becoming more and more involved as grocery shopping takes off on the web, however, some online stores say they might not let sustainability take a back seat.
Singapore-based online fashion store Zalora says it is fulfilling its ecological commitment and looking for its environmental footprint.
“We thought the most productive way to do this was to make commitments public, because that creates a degree of duty that you can’t give up. We have now ensured that all our packaging is at least 80% recycled. Gunjan Soni, CEO of the Zalora Group, told CNBC.
“But to get to the consultation of the product itself that we sell, we have introduced an initiative around circular fashion. Very soon in the future, other people will be there to resell the product they bought to Zalora herself. “
Incorporating sustainability into their business style is for online retailers, especially as the industry faces strong complaints about the extensive use of plastic in packaging.
Environmental teams such as Greenpeace have warned that waste from China’s e-commerce sectors could more than quadfold by 2025, Reuters reported.
“The sustainability factor in a world where parcels fly to the nearest moment is a factor that owners with logos must face, and platform homeowners have to deal with as well,” said James Root, senior spouse and president of Bain Futures, a global think tank at consultancy Bain.
“But I can, from my own experience with those companies, say that this is the most sensible thing on their agenda. How to think about minimizing the use of singles and maximizing reuse and sustainability in their business models,” he added.
Building a sustainable business has been a precedent for Republiqe, a virtual clothing store that sells “100% digital” clothing, according to its website.
Its founder, James Gaubert, said the company was looking to position itself as “the world’s first fully virtual fashion brand. “
“What we do as a logo is treat our customers as true avatars of life,” said Gaubert, who is also the Creative Director. “A customer comes to our site, chooses a piece of clothing or clothing, and then, when making the purchase, uploads a photo of themselves. “
From there, the virtual team takes over and “adapts this photo with your garment so that you can then spread it and spread it on social networks”.
“Our garments are as durable as possible. They don’t exist in a physical world,” he added. “They ask me each and every day if we’re going to create a line of physical garments. But on a non-public level, it goes against our philosophy. “
Countries want to take the lead on issues like climate change, said Vinod Thomas, a visiting professor at the National University of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
“Until very recently, or even now, this (wasn’t even on) the calendar of asean leaders’ meetings,” Thomas said, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. and in all likelihood will take care of that along the way when it’s too late?”
He said it is important to provide the right leadership and under pressure that Singapore is well positioned.
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Singapore launched its own green plan initiative in February, and aims to inspire more companies to embark on a sustainable path.
The government’s initiative outlines Singapore’s green targets for the next 10 years, which come with the 2030 target of reducing waste sent to landfills by 30% and making all newly registered cars cleaner energy models from 2030.
“People appreciate Singapore in terms of its business model,” said Thomas, a former senior vice president at the World Bank. “Singapore has a lot at stake. South-East Asia has a lot at stake to solve the problem, but it is also one of the most important. the biggest contributors to the problem. “
“Leadership will have to have confidence so that others will follow as well,” he added.
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