Fairbee believes in a circular economy, which is changing at a faster pace than it has done so far, meaning we must gear up! We can only accelerate the transition to a circular economy in close cooperation with our stakeholders. Our focus is the transition in consumer behavior.
According to the Ellen Mc Arthur foundation the circular economy is based on three principles:
- Eliminate waste and pollution
- Circulate products and materials (at their highest value)
- Regenerate nature
These principles will result in a resilient system that is good for people, environment and businesses.
The first step is to find brands that are sustainable by design. Although most of them still use virgin resources, there is a trend wherein established and upcoming brands are improving their production process by using dead stock or recycled materials.
This is a promising first step in the transition towards a circular economy, however, to take it further we searched for the best practices we could follow and found some good ones. We are aiming for something way higher than what has been done before and questioning how high we want to raise the bar. For a paradigm shift you need to set a new standard!
Each year millions of tons of clothes are produced, worn, and thrown away. Every second, the equivalent of a rubbish truck load of clothes is burnt or thrown into landfill. The fashion industry is also one of the major contributors to plastic pollution, meaning plastic microfibers are entering our oceans.
We created a plan outlining how we would like to achieve the transition to a circular economy. We focus on maximum transparency, traceability, and innovative developments. Significant investment of labor and capital is needed to establish large-scale innovation to improve transparency and traceability. But if we join hands, act together, and get started, it will be worthwhile.
Our plans resulted in the Fairbee Buys Back Guarantee, which is a significant step forward based on the 1st principle of the Ellen MacArthur foundation. We do not want the products we sell to end up in landfill in South America or Africa. Our aim is to extend the lifecycle of products and close the loop. We do this by buying back items we have sold when our customers are finished with them. We then transfer them to clothing libraries and secondhand shops, or have them upcycled, recycled, or donated.
The Fairbee Buys Back is an attractive option for the consumer.
It is a long-term commitment we embrace together with our partners. A joint effort aiming for a systemic change. The success ratio increases because we combine our knowledge, experience, and ecosystems. This long-term commitment of all partners creates the basis for the 2nd principle of the circular economy.
Since its launch, Earth Today and Fairbee have worked together to conserve the planet. Earth Today’s Big Hairy Audacious Goal is to have 9 billion m2 under conservation in 2050, and they cooperate with leading organizations to regenerate nature. As you might have already guessed, Fairbee will walk the walk and talk the talk in helping them to achieve their goal. For every returned item, customers of Fairbee could opt for a Fairbee voucher in combination with m2 of conserved planet, and with that we have covered the 3rd principle. How cool is that?
I am so proud that we have achieved this level just 6 months after we launched Fairbee.
And you might wonder what our Big Hairy Audacious Goal is? We want to become obsolete, meaning that sustainability by design becomes the common denominator for consumer and as a consequence companies like Fairbee are no longer necessary. Looking at the timelines, we hope to have achieved this when the Sustainable Goals Agenda is renewed.
We are ready for it! #letfairbee
Saja Chander