Courtesy Asket
As consumers, we all try to make as little impact on our environment as possible. But we consume, so therefore we change the environment – it’s as simple as that. A couple of Swedish companies are taking a different approach and looking at clever ways of extending the life of the things we buy. By Jeremy Torr.
Stockholm, October 2020. According to Swedish fashion company Asket, seeking sustainability from the fashion industry is a hard call. “The fashion industry is based on constant renewal,” it says. “It is always convincing us to buy more, when really what we need is less.” A walk through any shopping mall will confirm this is the case, despite many companies emphasising sustainable credentials. According to Asket, this approach is basically flawed.
It claims most fashion companies aren’t addressing the root causes of climate change, pollution and workforce exploitation. Instead, it asserts, they are just greenwashing customers with “sustainable” products so they can maintain the status quo, and encourage consumers to buy even more products.
“We want to maximise the life of every piece.” - August Bard Bringéus. Courtesy Asket.
Asket’s approach is not to claim they are greenie garment producers, but to give customers the real facts about any purchase so they can make the most of it. “We’ve been unconventionally transparent from the start, but it’s only now that we’re really asking all the questions,” explained Asket co-founder August Bard Bringéus. “Our hope is to inspire more brands to follow. Setting a higher standard for transparency forces us to consider the true cost of the garments we make and buy.”
The company says they have faced up to the reality that every garment has an impact, no matter how well made (or marketed) it is. “We can’t shop our way to sustainability,” they note.
Instead, the company teamed up with the Research Institute Sweden (RiSE) for a two-year project to trace exactly how much CO2 emission, water and energy consumption each garment produced. Then, and this is the new angle that sets Asket apart, they sell each item of clothing with a special Impact Receipt which they claim doesn’t just note the mechanics of the transaction, but details an agreement to invest in ASKET goods, and to understand its impact, buy less and keep it longer so you reduce consumption.
The Impact Receipt details how much energy, emissions are baked into the purchase. Courtesy Asket.
It compares buying clothes to food: just like we wouldn’t put something in our mouth without knowing where it came from, we shouldn’t with our clothing, they say. “It’s just not responsible.”
The joint research calculated a life cycle impact assessment based on climate impact (kg CO2-equivalents), water usage (cubic metres, and based on the region) and primary energy (MJ of electric or gas, both renewable and non-renewable) that its manufacture, warehousing and delivery cost the planet. Then they calculated the same impacts during the lifecycle of the garment. This included things like washing, drying, ironing and detergents, as well as end of life issues such as recycling, landfill usage or incineration associated energy consumption.
Asket customers can now ask for a traditional till receipt as usual, but in addition a new ticket gives the exact amounts of energy and emissions will result from its creation and likely use. And it hopes this will become the norm.
“The aim is to encourage customers to maximise the life of every piece, something that all brands should be championing,” said Bard Bringéus. “We want to encourage not only ourselves but also our customers and the industry as a whole to think about the environmental debt we’re creating.”
IKEA’s secondhand shop will be in the ReTuna mall. Courtesy ReTuna.
Another new approach is being pushed by the giant of disposable furniture, IKEA. It is opening a second-hand store for its own refurbished products, repaired and restored to their original condition. The store will be located in the ReTuna shopping mall in Eskilstuna, billed as the world’s first second-hand shopping centre and which offers a whole range of retail outlets that sell reused, organic or sustainable products.
“If we are to achieve our sustainability goals, we need to challenge ourselves and test our ideas in practice,” said Jonas Carlehed, head of sustainability at IKEA Sweden. “Climate change cannot be solved in theory, it must be solved through good examples in everyday life.”
IKEA says it will use this first store to test and develop a sustainable business model for recycling furniture into the future. It says it wants to become a ‘fully circular business’ by 2030, with all its furniture and products made from materials that are renewable and recyclable.
“We will enable and inspire people with thin wallets to live a more sustainable life,” said Jesper Brodin, CEO of the IKEA holding company. “To spark real change, we … need a collaborative approach to turn climate challenges into scalable solutions. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something.”