Could binning clothes possibly be better than renting? Of course not!
A buzzworthy, headline-generating Finnish study released recently found that transportation and dry cleaning make renting clothing a harmful habit. This study was of great interest to us (though we found some of the resulting media coverage alarming!), and helped us hone in on how we can do things better.
But to dismiss renting out of hand and suggest instead adding to the growing piles of clothing that end up in landfills? Yikes.
Is renting always done well? Well…no. But let us tell you what we’re doing to make this model as sustainable as possible.
- We buy only what we need to restock, only when necessary, and only locally. In other words, we’re not over-purchasing, rather, our goal is to keep well-made items circulating as long as possible. When we do buy new it’s from local, ethical designers and producers creating sustainable children’s clothing. This allows us to meet our goal of supporting local, ethically-run like-minded businesses.
- We’re helping bring great, well-made children’s clothing items to a bare minimum of 30 wears (and ideally far beyond!) Kids grow fast, so ensuring that these pieces circulate helps meet this goal.
- Similarly, our model is not about encouraging “newness,” just keeping up with growth. While we want your kids to feel good in their clothes, our goal is not to stay super hip, rather to share nice, comfy clothes that your kids will be happy to wear–and in which you’ll feel proud to dress them.
- All of our clothing will be passed along to charitable partners–some of whom will re-circulate them to other families in need once their clients have outgrown them.
- We’re keeping our supply chain as green as possible. We’re buying locally, using recycled and recyclable materials to ship, and working with couriers who use their feet, the TTC, bikes, or electric options. Our logistics are carefully considered and the earth always comes first.
- Our footprint is very small. We don’t have a big warehouse or logistics centre. Massive growth isn’t our goal. Supporting the circular economy is.
- We don’t dry-clean, and use green products when laundering clothes.
- Our rental cycle is a full three months (unless the renter needs it sooner!), which accounts for growth and the need for seasonal change.
We have many additional green goals, too! For example, we’re reaching out to bigger brands to support buy-back programs (stay tuned!), are working on ways to re-use clothing that has reached the end of its life, and are obsessively looking at packaging options to make sure we make the best choice…just to name a few!
For more tips and facts follow us here: https://www.instagram.com/fullcirclesubscriptions/
