Context
Although CSR issues have been on the agenda for some time, regulations have now caught up with retailers. Food, furniture, electronic products, fashion, luxury… all retail sectors are affected by restrictive legislations. We are moving from a traditional model based on low-cost energy and materials (which has made relocation and programmed obsolescence possible) to a new model: transparency of information to the consumer, extension of the life of products, rental offers, reconditioned products and lifetime guarantees. Does this innovative approach create or destroy value? In this “Essential” article, Mind Retail surveyed thirty managers to study how they approach this challenge.
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Chronology
– 1993: Patagonia manufactures the first fleeces from recycled plastic bottles (one Synchilla fleece made it possible to recycle 25 2-litre PET bottles). This was the beginning of the circular economy, with the transformation of waste into textile. After 2 years of exclusive processes, this innovation entered the public domain.
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– USA: In 2010, the California Supply Chain Transparency Act required brands to disclose efforts to eradicate slavery and human trafficking.
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– France: The AGEC Law (Anti-Waste and Circular Economy) includes
o From 2021, an obligation to publish a “reparability index” over 5 product categories which include smartphones, laptops, TVs, lawnmowers and porthole washing machines.
o From November 2022, the index added top load washing machines, dishwashers, hoovers and high-pressure cleaners.
o From 1 January 2022, a ban on the destruction of non-food waste covered by an EPR scheme including fashion, D.I.Y., furniture, electrical goods, toys, sport and leisure tyres.
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From spring 2022: In New York State, the Fashion Act (currently reviewed) targets fashion companies with revenues of more than US$100 million that sell products in the state. This law incorporates both environmental and social components, including
o Brands will have one year to map the supply chain of at least 50% of their manufacturing, and 18 months to disclose the environmental and social impacts of their marketing on their websites.
