The need for the fashion industry to make sustainable business practices the new standard to secure its future has become increasingly evident in recent years. Sustainability is no longer a buzzword but is slowly becoming an integral part of the industry. As the need for sustainable solutions increases, partners like Checkpoint Systems seek to support their customers in their quest for a more sustainable future.
Sustainability is now more than just a trend. It’s a must-have, dominating the fashion agenda and consumer priorities. More and more consumers want to know where the materials used in their products come from, how and under what conditions the products are made, and how workers are treated. At the same time, fashion brands and retailers recognize the role they play in preserving the environment. With growing evidence of industry’s impact on climate, the need to decarbonize, reverse nature loss and limit the use of natural resources is coming back to the fore as the impacts of climate change become more evident. Despite the increasing pressure, the fashion industry remains one of the world’s least environmentally responsible industries, emitting about 2.1 billion tons of CO2 annually, according to McKinsey, which is 4 percent of annual global emissions. More than 70 percent of these emissions come from the production process and supply chain, with the rest from retail, logistics and product use. Industry is also very resource-intensive, using large amounts of land, water, wood, and chemicals to grow commodities such as cotton and wool. It is clear that every sector and industry needs to focus on its breakthrough actions to make a meaningful and comparable contribution to reducing the impact of climate change, and some key players are leading the way.
Around 125 leading companies, including Kering, PVH and Nike, have committed to bringing the fashion industry to zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 as part of the United Nations Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action (UNFCCC), launched in 2018. Other companies like H&M have set themselves the goal of becoming “climate-friendly”, reducing more greenhouse gas emissions than their supply chain generates by 2040, using innovative models such as circular production. Despite these commitments to reducing emissions and using better materials, fashion companies must address sustainability at every level of their supply chain while improving industrial, logistical and retail processes. To help its customers achieve their sustainability goals, the leading provider of intelligent retail solutions, Checkpoint Systems continuously invests in innovation and sets itself ambitious environmental goals.
“Working sustainably is a must, a goal we are consciously working towards by developing new solutions and products that are better for the environment,” says Mariano Tudela, VP Sales & Customer Operations MAS Europe at Checkpoint Systems. The company offers its customers a wide range of materials and technical expertise, and leverages its global network of facilities to ensure the production of its RFID and EAS systems, as well as its apparel tags, is as efficient and sustainable as possible. Our facilities are built to the latest standards and are audited and accredited to numerous ethical and environmental accreditations and standards including SEDEX, Reach, OEKO-TEX, GRS and ISO 14001. With the help of its creative teams, Checkpoint is working to make its packaging based on customer needs and sustainable innovation. The R-Turn label offered by Checkpoint Systems is a key example of the company’s recent innovations exploring the use of alternative materials, print effects and finishes. “This label is very easy to apply as it is not very expensive to produce, does not require a large investment and helps retailers reduce shipping due to fraudulent purchases (wardrobing), which in turn is good for the environment.” Company also offers other sustainable labeling options including recycled paper, recycled tape and more. Customers can communicate their exact requirements for labeling options and Checkpoint Systems will meet their needs.
In addition, as a fully integrated RFID provider, Checkpoint Systems also offers retailers an environmental benefit with its RFID implementation. Because the company designs and manufactures its own inlays, these are converted into tags and labels that can be printed and encoded at its global manufacturing facilities, strategically located near retailers. This not only reduces the overall emissions, but the introduction of RFID solutions also contributes to more transparency in production and to the rationalization of omnichannel solutions.
Mariano adds: “Our RFID solution will bring more openness and clarity regarding the product to the end user, the retailer and all interested parties as all the required data about the product can be easily collected and shared, saving time, money and resources saves.” The more data collected about the production and supply chains, the better fashion companies and consumers can get a picture of the impact of the products on the environment and possible alternative solutions.
Fashion companies can also use RFID solutions to work more efficiently by better predicting future demand and sell-through rates of products. As Mariano explains, “Rather than ordering and producing inventory that may not meet the sell-through rate hoped for, thereby creating more waste, RFID allows retailers to work more effectively, streamline their production process and generate less waste overall.”
The need for sustainable technological solutions for retail goes hand-in-hand with the industry’s overall goal of reducing its impact on the planet and combating climate change – a goal that Checkpoint System also supports. “We annually assess and review our environmental impact and will continue to evaluate and improve our operations to reduce our environmental impact and meet the sustainability needs of our customers.”
For more information, see www.checkpointsystems.com