SUSTAINABILITY
IKEA UK & Ireland launches ‘textile take-back' scheme
IKEA UK & Ireland has launched
a new textile take-back scheme
at its Cardiff store, encouraging
customers to recycle unwanted
textiles and help the local
community.
As the first IKEA textile take-back
initiative in the UK, the scheme
will give customers in Cardiff
the opportunity to bring in any
unwanted textiles purchased
from any store – from clothing to
soft furnishings – to be reused,
repaired or recycled. There will
also be workshops in store showing
customers how they can breathe
new life into old textiles, or turn
them into something new.
According to the company release,
the pilot scheme, supported by
sustainability not-for-profit WRAP,
will see IKEA Cardiff donate all
textile products received from
customers to the YMCA in Roath,
Cardiff. The scheme will provide
a range of textiles for people in
the local community, including the
homeless a nd low-income families.
Recent research by WRAP reveals
that textiles are one of the least
recycled commodities in the waste
sector. Each year, WRAP estimates
that the UK consumes 1.7 million
tonnes of textiles, with almost a
third (620,000 tonnes) ending up in
landfill or incineration.
Commenting on the move, Matthew
Fessey, Store Manager at IKEA
Cardiff said “With our vision to
create a better everyday life for
many people, the textile take-
back scheme in Cardiff will
help our customers to live more
sustainably while supporting
people in need who are living in the
local community.”
ASICS releases 2016 Sustainability Report
Japanese sportswear specialist
ASICS has recently released
its 2016 Sustainability Report
which summarizes the company’s
sustainability performance for
last year and outlines progress
towards its medium-term
sustainability targets. on an ambitious new set of
sustainability targets towards
2020. We’re committed to striving
harder than ever to keep improving
our sustainability performance
in everything we do,” said Motoi
Oyama, Chairman, President and
CEO, ASICS Corporation.
“2016 was a special year for the
ASICS Group. This was the year
we kicked off our new five-year
ASICS Growth Plan, embarking In the last fiscal, ASICS Europe
launched a centralized review of
energy procurement and updated
its electricity contracts, switching
about 300,000 kWh to renewable
energy and saving 100 tonnes
of CO2. It also launched its new
Global Retail Concept with the
opening of a new flagship store in
Brussels, Germany with features
like LED lighting, energy efficient
systems and floor materials in
addition to hangers, mannequins
and other POS components made
from certified sustainable and/or
renewable materials.
The retailer also organized
training sessions in collaboration
with independent partners, such
as the International Labour
Organization’s Better Work
programme, for both Tier 1 and
Tier 2 suppliers to give them the
knowledge and understanding
necessary to further improve
their performance.
Continuing its sustainable
journey, ASICS expects to
double its total use of renewable
electricity in Europe, which will
account for 10 per cent of the
company’s total global electricity
usage. It also plans to conduct
energy efficiency audits in its
most energy-intensive locations
and implement efficiency
improvements where necessary.
Taking a step ahead, the company
will also publicly disclose which
suppliers it partners with in
the manufacturing of ASICS,
ASICS Tiger and Onitsuka
Tiger footwear, apparel
and accessories.
www.apparelresources.com | JULY 2017 | Apparel Online Bangladesh
33